Unintentional Love
by Snupin
Summary: L has told the Task Force members that he suspects Raito of being Kira. Raito isn't actually Kira in this Universe but how can he show that to L? Through sex of course. HIATUS
1. Prologue

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Welcome to the prologue of Unintentional Love. I hope you like it and don't forget to review!

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The sound of even but rushed typing permeated the silence of the hotel room.

'But…Ryuzaki could you please explain in more detail! I don't think any of us understand how you got to this conclusion.' Soichiro Yagami thundered at the sickly pale man, his natural calm unravelling.

The typing wavered as if deciding whether to go on or not. With a wistful sigh Ryuzaki looked up at Yagami-san's flushed face from under his bangs. His obsidian eyes roved around the room, noting the angry and disapproving faces of all the task force members in turn until they met me. Unable to look back into those blank, empty eyes I angled my head at the carpeted floor.

'I only explained that Raito-kun is the most likely Kira suspect,' he said in his unfeeling monotonous voice. My hand curled into a fist but I forced myself to stay silent. No matter what I did it would only lead to the chance of me being Kira going up. My lack of response tipped my father over the edge as he was forced to defend for me.

'Raito can't possibly be Kira! I know my own son. He would never…'

'The chief is right Ryuzaki,' Matsuda, encouraged by my father's indignation, cut in. L sighed again, tuning out the upcoming stupidity Matsuda was sure to spew. 'L, oops I mean Ryuzaki, I've known Raito-kun since he was this high,' he gestured towards his knee, 'he wouldn't do something like that!'

'Matsuda's right!' Aizawa yelled over my father's continuous rant. _Uh, I can't take this, _I thought as I scooped up my bag and stormed out the room unnoticed by everyone except L.

_No matter what L does I just can't be angry at him _I thought in frustration as I left the hotel lobby. _I'm thankful for Matsuda and everyone for sticking up for me but I can't stop feeling sorry for L being bombarded by people of lesser intelligence like that. He had only stated what he'd deduced from the situation and I would have come to the same conclusion. Probably. _I allowed my feet to take me to the coffee shop I usually went for lunch in.

I made myself comfortable in my usual booth. A bleach blond waitress sauntered over to me flashing perfect white teeth and too much cleavage. _People like these make me sick._

'I'll just have a coffee. Make it black please.' I gave her my award winning smile before turning to the cold window. Rain began to trickle out of the looming black clouds. _It's such a shame that I was only able to join the task force so L could monitor me. He would have made a good friend. I just wish we hadn't met like this. _For people like me and L it was hard to find those who we could truly connect with. It was as if we were a different species. I smiled gratefully at the blonde as she placed my coffee in front of me. _Why does my life always have to be ruined because I'm smart? I'd always tried to make myself like everyone else but my intelligence always got in the way._

'I guess intelligence is more of a curse than a blessing,' I mumbled pessimistically against the glass.But it's always been this way. The smart person is always beaten up, always being taken advantage of. Always suspected of being strange and different. A great feeling of pity for L washed over me. It was obvious he hadn't been as lucky as I had in the past.

I sipped my coffee broodingly. _If I could just prove to L that I'm not Kira then things would be better. We would catch Kira together. _I saw the waitress that had served me dolling herself up even more (if possible) in my peripheral vision. _I got it! I know how to make L trust me. _

I quickly paid for my drink and exited the shop with a triumphant smile on my face. Not even the rain that stained my immaculate uniform could put me down as I had the perfect plan. It was so simple I'm surprised I hadn't thought of it before.

I just needed to get L to lust for me.

Can't be too hard.

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I know it's short but the next chapters will be longer. Please, don't forget to review!

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	2. Friends

How to make Ryuzaki love me:

Stage 1) Become friends: This may be more difficult than it seems. Ryuzaki is a genius but he is obviously socially retarded. To others wishing to make someone their boyfriend/girlfriend this would seem like a disadvantage: Ryuzaki who had been companionless for his life would jump at the chance to have me on his side. However, it was not hard to guess that he had often been the butt of others jokes and so his friendless state has made wary of people being kind to him in case it was a joke.

In the light of Ryuzaki's past I have hypothesized that the best plan would be to use the truth. Tell him how much I respected his intellect and how he made me…feel normal. Even though I made a point of being 'normal', joining the football team, watching shows that are popular among my less gifted classmates, I have always felt an outsider. My intelligence made be a freak, but you didn't hear it from me. I understand how Ryuzaki feels and, with a bit of luck, he will see this too.

Raito's Pov

All sound of work stopped momentarily in the hotel that was serving as the Task Force Headquarters. Matsuda took advantage of the lull in activity to stretch his shoulders and emit an explosive yawn.

'Man, I'm bushed. Ryuzaki I think I'm going to call it a night,' he said in the direction of the stacks of paper concealing the odd man and all his idiosyncrasies.

'Hai,' came the hollow reply from behind the detective's paper fort. Said detective quickly finished his mouthful of gummy bears and began work once more.

'I'll think I'll be heading home too. I promised the wife I wouldn't be too late tonight. See you tomorrow Ryuzaki-san,' Aizawa added as he packed up his things and joined Matsuda before leaving the room.

'Dad you should get some rest too. You've been working too hard recently,' I said to my father when I realized he was planning to stay. He looked up with a surprised expression.

'But Raito what about you?' I felt an unexplainable anger boil up in me. Didn't he care that if I left, Ryuzaki would be by himself for the rest of the night? Just because they'd had a silly spat over the obvious last night he no longer cared about our leader's well being. Ryuzaki was working the hardest here yet nobody had suggested he'd take a break.

'No I'll be fine Dad. _Ryuzaki _and I have it covered.' I stressed the other man's name to remind my father that we weren't the only people still in the room.

'Ah.' He sighed. He still looked adamant about staying so I gave him a reassuring smile. 'Ok Raito but don't stay here too late else you mother will worry.'

'I know, I know.'

I gave a sigh of relief when the door clicked shut for the second time.

'Raito-kun there isn't any need for you to stay here. You'll still be able to catch up to your father if you go now.' L said as he hopped over his little fortress. I looked up just in time to see concern flash across his usually empty eyes before the wall came down, hiding the man I dearly wanted to know behind it.

'I'm honestly ok Ryuzaki. It's not a school night so I thought this would be a good chance to make up for the time I wasted yesterday.' _Was it just the lighting or did Ryuzaki seem regretful?_

'Raito-kun I've been meaning to talk to you about my decision,' he said around a Mars bar. _What's this? _I thought. 'I understand that this may be hard for you but please bare with it until we discover that you are Kira or until we find the real Kira.' I pushed down my irritation at being accused of being Kira quickly, putting up my own mask to hide myself. _If he can keep what he feels a secret then so can I. _I thought childishly.

'Ryuzaki there's no need to apologize. I was the one that Raye Penbar was investigating. I know why you suspected me and I don't blame you. Who else is there to suspect?' I reassured my temporary classmate as he sat down in his usually weird position.

'I'm glad Raito-kun understands,' was the monotonous reply. I smiled at him from across the coffee table and was delighted to receive a perfect half-moon smile. _He really can be so adorable sometimes. _I thought to myself as we simultaneously returned to our work.

I felt a cold hand roughly shake my shoulder. _What's going on? _I thought groggily. I rubbed the sleep from the corner of my eyes and looked around my surroundings.

'Raito-kun fell asleep,' Ryuzaki said from behind me. _Oh. _I stretched out my body, wincing as my joints cracked in protest.

'Ow,' I murmured quietly.

'Perhaps you should go home now Raito-kun. We wouldn't want your mother to worry,' the shaggy haired detective proposed.

'Yeah,' I mumbled at his back, 'I probably should go home now.' A yawn punctuated my words. No response came from the retreating man as I pulled my bag together, noting that my work had already been saved. _How long had I been asleep?_ I wondered.

I walked over to the detective taking up the position next to him as he looked out onto the sleeping city from the window. I was curious if he'd always looked but never experienced the city for himself. But it would have been rude to ask at this point in my plan. I turned to the strange man next to me who only came up to my shoulder because of his odd posture.

The moon light found a break in the clouds and illuminated the pair of us. Sucking in a quick breath I reassessed my thoughts on the detective.

Before, I had been a little uneasy with my plan. My main concern was whether or not I found the detective attractive, but now I knew that I did. Of course I did, how I could have ever thought of him as ugly was as strange a thought as finding Matsuda attractive. That his pale skin made him look sickly instead of angelic? That his thinness made him look unhealthy instead of slim and lithe? The beautiful person next to me peered from under his dark bangs with even darker eyes.

'Can I help you with something Raito-kun?' The voice that I once found uninteresting now sent shivers down my spine.

'I was just wondering if you were going to attend university again.' L turned away from me closer to the wide expanse of sky until his face was almost touching the window.

'No Raito-kun. I only went to the university so I could observe you closely.' His words made me feel a foolish kind of pleasure. He went to all that trouble just to watch me? For the first time it didn't even bother me that he'd thought that is was Kira even before he'd met me.

'That's a shame Ryuzaki-kun. It's boring without someone there who I can hold an intelligent conversation with,' the use of "kun" was not wasted on the still detective. I turned back to face the room and sighed at the thought of leaving the amazing man behind. 'I miss you when you aren't there. You're a good friend to me Ryuzaki-kun.' That got a surprising reaction. The slim man whipped around to face me, his expression a mixture of surprise and suspicion before the wall crashed down again.

'What do you mean Yagami-kun?' _Ah, so he doesn't like me calling him "kun"._

'Well, it's just that I admire you so much,' I shrugged as if it didn't mean anything, as if I didn't care, 'you don't care what other people think of you. You're not afraid to be yourself, to be different from everyone else. I think that's a very important characteristic you have.'

The angelic man placed his thumb between his lips and bit down on the soft flesh.

'You're a good friend too Raito-kun. My first friend in fact. Ever.' It was shocking how good that made me feel, like I was walking on clouds.

Stuffing my hands in my pockets I made the short distance to the door, hiding my delighted smile, all the while being trailed by the silent man.

'Goodnight Ryuzaki,' I said as I exited the hotel room. I didn't mind that I didn't get an answer.

Stage 1) Become L's friend: complete.


	3. Misa

Hi everyone!! I know I haven't updated in aaaaaaages which I am truly sorry for. I'm not just saying that I really feel sorry for putting git off and I hope I haven't lost my readers. Erian-chan pointed out to me that Raito shouldn't have met Misa yet so in chapter 2 I changed my mention of Misa to Matsuda. I have also changed chapter 2 in other ways so please re-read it. I hope you all like this belated chapter.

**Warning**: I have intentionally messed up the time-line in this chapter e.g. I have made Mikami the same age as Raito.

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Stage 2) Make our friendship stronger:

Ryuzaki has acknowledged me as his best friend. I cannot deny that this makes me feel somewhat special. I know, I am what you would consider 'special', I'm good looking, and I have perfect grades and many adoring friends if not fans but I now feel truly 'special'. Ryuzaki has chosen me to be his friend and even though this started off as a plan to make my Raito Is Kira Percentage go down what I said was still the truth and when we catch the real Kira I hope we'll still be friends or, if the plan goes successfully, lovers.

Ryuzaki has not had a friend before and so I believe it will be for the best if I prove to him that it wasn't all words and that I truly want to be his friend. After all one of my favourite English idioms is "actions speak louder than words"

Raito's POV

I let the university door swing shut behind me and savoured the cool breeze blowing over my flushed face. Football had been rather intense. The other team's best player Arata Tanaka was back after being in the hospital with a broken leg and so the winning team wasn't so obvious.

I let my feet take me to my usual café were I could compose myself before heading home to change into more appropriate clothes and then making my way over to the headquarters. I didn't have a uniform for university so I could wear whatever I wanted. My fellow classmates often rejoiced this but it was the one thing I missed about my old school.

Before, I could just wake up and put on my uniform and only have to worry about whether it was ironed correctly or not (which it usually was). But now I had to put great thought into my clothes to protect my image. It also made the girls at the university more annoying than usual. A few years ago I had always hoped that they would be more mature but all I hear is talk about the disaster and mayhem that ensued when they discovered that their favourite clothes were in the wash.

It was surprising how something as mundane as clothes can change your attitude towards others. Even I sink so low as to have to change my clothes before I see Ryuzaki to make sure that _I _look mature enough for a man who wears the same white top and blue trousers day in and day out (I had often imagined childishly that if I opened his wardrobe there would be seven sets of the same clothes). But now that my strange new feelings for Ryuzaki had surfaced I was all the more conscious of it.

I opened the door of what I now think as 'my' café and sat down in my usual booth. It was not too close to the front of the shop to be hassled by other customers, next to a window with a good view of the door, but not too far to the back to be seen as a recluse.

I gave my favourite waiter my order and settled down to wait. He was my favourite for several reasons: 1) he was a guy. He was the only male employed at the café. I am by no means a sexist but the girls who worked here were of the same type, blond, stupid with big busts. 2) He was intelligent. He went to my university and was in some of my classes. It was odd, we'd never properly spoken to each other but he was usually near by. 3) He was polite. Unlike the waitresses who came out with so much makeup on they either looked like a French tart or a racoon and were too touchy-feely he was professional. He smiled and said hello and did his job with pride. Sure it was only a café but I heard it paid well. 4) He came from a respectable family. This didn't matter much these days but my father had often drilled in me the need for good gentlemanly etiquette and such. His name was Mikami and my father and told me that before his mother died she had been very reputable.

As I sipped on my black coffee I saw a girl walk up to the door. I couldn't see much of her because she was leaden with so many boxes and bags. My sister had warned of the seasonal sales coming up. Clearly someone had been on a shopping spree. I jumped up to hold open the door for her. My father may not have been around a lot during my childhood but he raised me right.

"Thank you sooooooooo much" she said as I helped her through the door. One of her boxes, a pink shoe box, fell of her pile and I quickly grabbed it. "Thank you again!" She giggled and I cringed inwardly. I'd hoped she'd be like my sister, who could clean out her bank account in minutes but was genuinely lovely, however, I could now see her large blue eyes and bouncy blond hair. She was wearing a cross necklace and I briefly wondered if she was religious. The black lacy dress that barely covered her extensive cleavage suggested not.

I helped her to a table and gave the succubus a charming smile. "It was my pleasure" I replied.

She gave me a smile that was all teeth and extended a gloved hand towards me "I'm Misa Amane." Misa gave me an appraising look. I had to suppress a shudder. This was one of the reasons I liked Ryuzaki so much. He was dignified. Completely different from anyone else I had ever dated. It was strange to think that if I hadn't realised my feelings for him Misa would have been the kind of self destructive girl I would have been attracted to. _Guess I dodged a bullet here._

"I'm Raito Yagami" I replied. _Wow!! What an unusual name! I wonder if he's got a girlfriend. I don't think so, if I was his girlfriend he certainly would be sitting alone. _Misa thought.

"I know this may be a little weird since we've only just met but would you like to sit with me?" She fluttered her eyelashes in what I'm sure she thought was an attractive way. My hands shot of her table like they'd been electrocuted.

"That's very kind of you but I have to go now." Misa pouted and began to say something when I turned around and beat a swift retreat.

I paid Mikami for my coffee as if Cerberus were yapping at my heels.

"Going already Yagami-san?" Mikami said looking decidedly put-out.

"Afraid so. I'm just not the mood to suffer such…company" Okay, I liked Mikami and my father's training may have left a few holes. He looked concerned and so I rolled my eyes over to where Misa was eating her strawberry sundae and sniffling. A nervous grin graced Mikami's face.

"So she's not your type then?" He asked, polishing his glasses.

"No, definitely not. Thank God for that." He returned my smile with an interested one, I said my farewells and left the shop.

"Thank God" Mikami whispered as the door shut, his eyes trained on my graceful form.

L's POV

I took a noisy sip of my coffee, or as Raito-kun has dubbed it my "liquid sugar". Honestly, that boy can be as cynical as a middle aged man sometimes. Who doesn't want heaps of sugar in their coffee? I nibbled thoughtfully on my tiny fork and let my unfocused gaze glance over the data on my computer screen. I stabbed the cake in front of me and ate the morsel, thanking Watari and his obsession with 'rationing myself'.

A few years ago I had made friends with someone on Runescape. I know, the game is for people with nothing better to do but in the days before the Kira case fell in my lap the investigations I had picked up were interesting, of course, but could only divert my attention for a few days. Two weeks tops. So I had allowed myself a dorkish escape. Yes, I spent hours staring at a pixelated (1) little man but he was my pixelated man.

After a little while a girl called "Snupin" (2) and I had become friends. She may have not been the brightest bulb in the box but we fought together, I helped her with Quests and I had fun. However, she stopped coming onto Runescape saying she 'had a lot of homework' or 'exams to study for'. Eventually she stopped logging on completely.

This may seem a rather infinitesimal thing to be upset about but I was truly devastated. We had been friends or so I'd like to think. So I did what I always do when I need to make myself feel better. I ate. I ate ice cream, cake, profiter rolls, cookies, pancakes, anything and everything we had. When Watari found me he was less than pleased. I had given myself a gargantuan stomach ache and so, to limit how much I could eat within a small amount of time, he bought me nothing but tiny forks. A silly way to counter my gluttony but it did work. My tiny forks made me savour what I ate and for that I was glad.

Raito stifled a yawn to my left and subconsciously ended my mental tirade. Looking at the clock I was surprised that it was already 1 o'clock in the morning. Raito usually complained before it got this late.

"Raito-kun perhaps you should go home. Don't you need to be refreshed for university tomorrow?" I asked eyeing his slightly slumped form. One thing I had noticed since Raito had told me he considered us...friends was that he was less composed when we were alone. They were only slight things like cricking his neck, tapping his fingers against the table top (a nervous/bored habit I didn't think the 'oh-so perfect Raito Yagami was capable of) and actually taking some of the cake I offered him. Did he really think of me so highly that he allowed his mask to slip?

Of course I had noticed that Raito-kun pretended to be something he wasn't so much so that he seemed to do it without thinking. This was one of the many reasons I thought Raito could be Kira. I was disappointed and intrigued to find that he was only doing this to live up to his friends and family's high expectations of him. I sympathise with him I truly do. I know how it feels to have to change who you are to live up to your potential.

"Thanks Ryuzaki I didn't realize how late it had gotten. Thanks for worrying but I've got a free day tomorrow" he said. Raito-kun gave me an open smile which made my stomach feel odd. I was usually excellent at analysing my reactions to people but this one was foreign. It made me feel warm but uneasy at the same time. How can a smile make me feel warm? This didn't match up with any of my past experiences. Perhaps I need a doctor's appointment.

Ratio stood up and stretched, his shirt riding up and revealing his stomach. Raito wasn't particularly muscled but he was defined. His stomach was flat and smooth; his arms looked strong but delicate and his face seemed chiselled by some unknown sculpture but after his declaration of friendship yesterday his features were warmer and more animate than ever before. I alarmed myself by the high amount of oxymorons floating through my mind.

"Ryuzaki?" Raito-kun asked with a curious and confused smile which made my heart skip a beat (despite that being impossible). Had I been staring at him? Stop being such a churl and answer the boy. Something was definitely wrong with me today.

"Yes Raito-kun?" Was it me or did he seem unsure? One thing I had been sure of was that nothing Raito-kun did was on a whim. I felt suspicion sneak into my mind though I did hate myself for it. I had been trained to find double meanings in people's actions and couldn't help but find Raito's behaviour erratic as of late.

_Damn, how could I possibly phrase this and make him say yes? _Raito thought desperately. "My homeroom teacher once told me that no matter how intelligent or resourceful you are you should still take some time off to relax otherwise your brain would fry," _this wasn't a lie either. Mr Takahashi had actually warned me of this and then went off on one of his random tangents about people who were booked into insane asylums for working too hard. I had never taken him seriously but working with L had given the stories a scary truth. _Ryuzaki looked at me patiently.

_I had thought endlessly what we could do together. Go see a movie: no most movies put me to sleep, no matter how good my friends say they are and with Ryuzaki's mind he'd be bored stiff within minutes. Go shopping: what would Ryuzaki want that Watari hadn't already bought for him. We couldn't go outside because people may see his face and he would be in danger. But in the café there were plenty of secluded booths were we could talk and become closer friends._

"So, Ryuzaki I hoped that tomorrow you would like to take a break with me and perhaps go to a café. We could go to that one near my school. They've recently started making these chocolate chip cookies which you'll like". _I swear all hell broke lose._

I jumped to my feet quickly shocking Raito-kun. How could he even mention taking even a half hour break? I was angry at Raito-kun because I thought he knew why I worked so hard to catch Kira. Did he not really understand? He's only worried about you, a small voice said. That much is true, only a few hours ago I had caught him looking at me a small crease marring his otherwise perfect brow. I shook my head calmer now.

"Raito-kun I'm sorry." It was uncomfortable how sorry I did feel. It would have been nice to spend some time with my friend "But I cannot take time off. Every second I waste people could be dying."

"I understand Ryuzaki" He packed all his things into his book bag and got ready to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow okay Ryuzaki?" He gave me a boyish smile as if to say 'no harm done'.

"Alright Raito-kun" I said turning back to my work. "Sweet dreams Raito-kun" I said after the door had closed. I resolved to try and spend more time with Raito from now on. "Watari?"

"Yes?" The man I considered my father replied over the intercom.

"I will attend university with Raito-kun in a few days again."

"This would be good for you Ryuzaki. The investigation isn't moving forward and it would be advantageous for you to have a break." I winced slightly. When had I become so transparent to Watari?

"I am only going to keep an eye on a potential Kira suspect" I lied. A light chuckle crackled through the device.

***

Raito walked on the well lit side of the pavement. He kicked a coke can out of his way.

Stage 2) Not yet complete.

This didn't bother him to much. It was obvious that it would take longer to get Ryuzaki out of his shell and out of his clothes. I chuckled at the thought and wondered what he would look like. A pale angel spread out underneath him on the bed. Raito shook his head to clear his mind of such sultry thoughts. Ryuzaki, Ryuga, L. He was worth more than a simple hormonal fantasy. But for a moment he allowed himself to think what it would be like to have Ryuzaki as a lover. Blissful came to mind.

Raito froze as he heard staccato footsteps coming up behind him. The teen turned in time to see a blond blur leap in his direction. He only had time to curse his father and his tradition before his head hit the pavement with a sickening crack.

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1) I know pixelated isn't a word so if any one knows the actually word version of it please tell me!!

2) I used to play Runescape with Snupin a smy name and i truly did have homework etc to do and i'm sorry i stopped playing.

Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it. Please review!!!!!


	4. More Misa than is good for you

Hi again! This chapter is a little shorter than the previous chapter but I hope you like it anyway.

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Stage 2a) Get Ryuzaki to take me up on my offer of coffee:

I always knew that Ryuzaki would need time to fully trust me even enough to go venture outside. I had hoped that he would just need time to mull it over but his reason "Every second I waste people could be dying" was unexpected. It really shouldn't be, of course Ryuzaki would be concerned for others. The task force, including my father, thought that Ryuzaki was just a childish man who wanted to catch Kira to prove his superior intellect. He was this but I know he also cared for the Kira victims despite his outlandish tactics.

Ryuzaki was a man who I wanted to know no matter how long it took.

***

_A young boy ran down the corridor, children's pictures blurred along the walls as his instincts kicked in. He didn't care where he was going all he wanted to do was get away from them. The Itou brothers were ruthless when crossed and he wasn't in the mood to go home with black eyes and broken glasses. Usually he wouldn't particularly mind getting beaten up when there was someone to be saved. But he hated it when _he _was the one that needed saving. No one ever saved Teru Mikami._

_Ever since he was young Mikami had had a strong sense of justice. Despite the pounding he would receive he would always try to protect the defenceless. Of course, this made him unpopular but the 'thank you' and adoring looks he got from the victims were like a drug for him. His teachers ignored him, and his peers hated him so the gratification he got from the bullies victims helped him get through his life._

_However, no matter how many times he played 'the hero' no one was willing to help him. At a tender age Mikami found out that humans were naturally selfish. They were too clouded with selfish interests to care for people like him. But he prided himself in being a righteous rock in the sea of immoral effluence that infected the human race._

_Shouts from behind brought him back to reality with a thud. Mikami had long discovered that speed could only take you so far and he needed to hide. He chose an empty storeroom which he knew had many hide- holes which he could crawl into. Mikami ducked into the cupboard knowing that the bullies wouldn't be far behind. _

_Groups of boxes were piled near the back wall which the boy moved outwards creating a small enough gap for him to crouch in. Mikami willed his heavy breathing to slow down. The door creaked open and he jumped, muffling an undignified 'squeak' behind his hand. _

"_You sure he went in 'ere?" The younger of the two boys asked._

"_Yeah, I saw his skinny little arse come through a second ago," the elder and more intellectually challenged boy grunted. The targeted boy was sure that his treacherous heart beat would be heard._

"_I'll look over 'ere 'n you look over there." He wrapped his arms around his legs to make himself smaller, knowing that any second one of the idiots would rummage through his stack of boxes and he'd be found out. He was surprised to hear the door open a second time. Had they given up and left?_

"_What do you want?" The elder ground out. Mikami wanted to poke his head over the boxes to see who had come in but he forced himself to stay still. _

"_I only wanted to know what you two were doing after school in a teacher only area." The familiar well spoken voice replied. For the life of him Mikami couldn't remember where he had heard it before. _

"_We were doin' nothin'" They replied._

"_If you leave now I'll let this slip and won't tell any of the teachers" the voice had a false friendly edge to it and he knew the brothers would take the offer. Mikami had heard that if they were caught on school property after school again they'd be expelled. Permanently. The young straight A student shuddered at the thought._

_He heard the bullies grunt a reply and the door swing open and shut once more. A tired sigh reached his delicate ears._

"_You can come out now" the voice said. Despite Mikami's curiosity he was rooted to the floor. _Had someone actually saved me?_ He jumped as the boxes in front of him moved but relaxed when a kind face came into view. It was Raito Yagami, a smart but popular child in his class. "Are you okay" the worry in the beautiful boy's voice touched a starved area in Mikami's body. No one had ever cared for him, even his mother only pretended to worry. In one look this boy made him feel more wanted than he had felt in a long time. Mikami began to cry._

Raito's POV

When I woke up from my dream he first thing I realised was that I had no idea where I was. This was very disconcerting because I should be at home. Panic began to rise but I held it back. Okay first thing first. What was I sure of 1) I had been on my way home when…oh no when Misa Amane had attacked me. I shuddered slightly at the thought of that girl. 2) My head hurt like it had been stepped on but nothing else felt broken. 3) The bed I had thought I was in wasn't a bed. It felt like a sofa if the arm rest under my feet was anything to go by.

I felt a little sick when I opened my eyes. The image swam in front of my eyes and then solidified into the one blond I had hoped not to see.

"Hi Raito-kun!! Yagami-san! He's awake!" I ranked her high pitched voice the most annoying thing I've heard, just above nails on a black board and my sister singing in the shower. I focused on my surroundings and saw a large TV with immaculately polished figurines on a shelf above it. The penny dropped and I realised I was on the living room sofa at home. Strange I don't remember getting here. Soft footsteps announced my mum's appearance.

"How are you sweetie?" She said, he voice full of motherly love. Her brown eyes were filled to the brim with concern and I smiled at her. Of course I felt awful but if I said that she'd twitter around me for weeks and I'd never get any peace.

"I'm fine ka-chan (1), my head hurts a little but I don't think it's too serious."

"Thank goodness!" Misa said from her precarious perch next to me. I tried to sit up but mum pushed me down gently.

"Are you sure? You had quite a fall." I swallowed a scoff and told her that I would like a glass of water and she bustled off to get me it. This left me alone with the demon blond. How could she smile so calmly? I had quite a fall she pushed me! My sister made an appearance, interrupting my complaints.

"Oh good you're awake! You're not hurt are you?" Sayu carried on not waiting for an answer. "Cus there's this show I wanted to watch and you're hogging the sofa so could you move? Please" She asked in the blunt way she had. Misa looked like she would protest but I moved to the end of the sofa furthest away from the girls. "Thanks nii-san. But are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine imouto. I just-" Misa cut in.

"I was just walking home and I saw Raito-kun making his won way home. I ran up to say hi to him and when he turned to look at me he fell over. I have to say it was kinda funny"

Yeah funny for you, you evil witch. My mum entered the room with my water.

"Here you are Raito" She handed me the glass which I gulped down. When was the last time I had something to drink?

"Thank you kachan" I replied. "How did I get home after I fell" I asked, keeping to Misa's story. Now that she'd made up her own version if I tried to tell the truth it would look like I was just trying to save face. This was something I tried not to do as it made you look arrogant, like Daiki Ishiguro, a boy in my class who nobody particularly liked.

"Your friend was very helpful" my mum said smiling at her. Misa, helpful? Perhaps I had judged her too quickly. I gave her an appraising look.

"Well anyone would have done it, for a friend" Misa gave me a friendly smile and I relaxed a little. I wasn't usually one to make mistakes but when I did I like to think I am good at addressing them and it seemed that lumping Misa with all the nitwit girls I'm normally surrounded with was a mistake.

Was it me or did she look chastened? "I'm sorry Raito-kun but I looked in your phone" Ok now I was pissed. Why on earth would she do that? "It's just I didn't know where you lived so I looked in you address book and one number said 'home'. So I called it and your dad came and picked you up" Misa smiled and budged closer to me. I moved further away from her but the sudden movement made me dizzy.

"Are you ok musuko?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired." I wanted to say I'd feel better when Misa had left but I felt indebted to her. Sure she had attacked me but she'd also gotten me home safely. "Where's Tousan?"

"He's gone to work nii-san." I looked at the clock and realised I'd slept for 11 hours! Why did I still feel so rotten?

"Well, thank you very much Amane-san but I'd really like to go back to sleep." When none of the girls moved I added "Upstairs"

"Oh, ok Raito-kun. I need to go home too. It was very nice to meet you Sayu-chan, Yagami-san. And Raito-kun please call me Misa-chan!" I nodded unconvinced.

"Thank you again, Misa-san" I replied. She giggled and pranced over to the door. My mum and sister walked with her.

"Raito-kun don't be rude" My mum said from the hallway. I took a deep breath of oestrogen free air and stood up. The room span before settling into place again. At the door I shook her hand.

Conscience of my mum staring at me I asked "Will you get home all right?"

"Of course Raito-kun!" We watched her gracefully walk down the path. Yes she's almost gone! I know it's a little rude to want to get rid of someone so badly but I needed a clear head to think about what I was going to tell Ryuzaki. Surely he'd heard from my dad I'd had an 'accident'. It was difficult trying to think how to diffuse this bomb without her giggling in my ear all the time. "Oh Raito-kun?" She called. "I added your number into my own address book is that ok?" I was going to tell her that it was not ok for her to do that without asking but she sprang away without an answer.

I closed the door with a relieved sigh. Both my mum and sister were standing behind me with identical smile on their smug faces. Thank God I take after my father.

"She's cute" Sayu said and my mum nodded.

"I suppose." I dodged around the two easily, what with being a head and a half taller. "I'm really tired so I'm going to bed" I called over my shoulder.

"Ok. Do you need any help?" Mum asked as I eyed the stairs.

"No I'm fine" I took my first step and almost fell over. I would have just asked for help but as I was very proud of my recovery I was determined to make my own way up the stairs.

***

I sighed as I finally lay on my bed. Yesterday had been a long day. If only I knew what awaited me tomorrow.

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Please tell me if my Japanese is incorrect:

As far as I know:

Ka-chan: Less formal mother

nii-san: Big brother

imouto: Younger sister

musuko:Son

Tou-san: (Less formal methinks) Father

Thank you for reading and don't forget to review!


	5. Mikami

Hi! phew, I finally updated. I'm really sorry for the delay. I had planned on updating yesterday but I kept on changing the beginning. Well, this took me aaaages so I hope you like it.

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The face that looked back at me seemed highly unimpressed. The hollow black eyes critically traced the plain black frames of my glasses, the sickly pale skin and the too thin lips. Revulsion blocked my throat like gauze and made me choke. It was wrong. The face I had been given was wrong. _Why was I given this face? _I thought. I was intelligent, brave and I could be charming if I tried so why didn't my exterior conform to my interior perfection? Yagami-kun would never be attracted to a bleached cadaver like me. The digital clock beeped from my bedroom, informing me to get a move on. I dipped my glasses in the basin to wash them and splashed my face with the cold water as if to wash away my thoughts and moved into the aforementioned bedroom. The room compromised of a low bed, with a black duvet and white sheet, a wardrobe which contained my few outfits and a chest of drawers with a small television perched on top. The rest of the apartment was similarly furnished, with only the necessities making an appearance. The furnishings were rather meagre but they suited my life style. I normally tried not to waste time in the apartment preferring to take extra shifts at the Cafe or study in the university library.

Another duty I tried to fulfil in these slow morning hours was to rid the world of the undesirables. Ever since I was young I fought against the cruel, the anti-social members of the class room but it wasn't until recently that I began to clean up on a larger scale. I glanced at the shinigami, Ryuk, who stalked me across the apartment. His nightmarish face stretched into a grin as I seated myself at the simple desk in the box that served as the living room and took out the notebook from the bottom draw. It was a rather unassuming notebook at first glance, thin with a plain black cover, however, under closer inspection the words 'Death Note' etched into the cover were far more worrying. When I first came across the notebook I believed it was just a hoax made by a child to scare their friends. I'd taken it home, intending to bin it, when I read the instructions on the inside of the front cover. I knew it was an asinine thing to feel but I was curious. What if the power where true? It sounds strange but the notebook has the power to make whoever holds it want to use it. If only once. So I tried it out on one of my classmates. He was a large brutish boy, his only contribution to the school being his overbearing love of sport. How I hated him. All I had to do was write his name and his cause of death, it seemed far too easy a solution. But the next day he didn't come into school, or the next day, or the next day. I was filled with mixed emotions when news reached my ears that not only had he died in the 'accidental' car crash but his younger sister too. The memory of her plain but lovely face haunts me to this day. She was a gentle hard working girl; no one would have guessed the family connection to her lazy brother. I never wanted her to die. I want to protect the innocent people, to wipe out those who leech on society.

The shinigami's odd laugh broke through my reverie.

"_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk_. Hey, shouldn't ya be getting a move on? You need to go to school soon..." I shook my head and gently placed the notebook down on the desk.

"It isn't school Ryuk, its University. There's a slight difference." I hated it when he referred to university as school. It made the best university in Japan sound so trivial, like I had spent all that time studying just to get into a primary or secondary school. The university was even more superior to other schools because of a certain brunet that attended it. _Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk_ the sound of Ryuk's laughter offended my ears, as if he knew what I was thinking. I threw a look over my shoulder at the spectre but he was busily biting through a red apple. I breathed a sigh as I opened my black laptop on the desk next to the Death Note. He didn't seem to have read my mind. While the computer was loading I absentmindedly smoothed out the paper cover. The clock in the corner of the screen informed me it was 7:45. I couldn't believe I had wasted all that time!

I clicked onto the word document labelled _coursework _which contained the first pages of my most recent assignment. I scrolled down to where the list of criminals I'd copied and pasted was. Taking a deep breath I started writing

"Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete..." The criminals ranged from petty theft to murder but all of them where drains on society and had to be deleted. "...delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete."

***

A few hours later I walked into the lecture hall where I would spend the next part of my life trying to make careful notes despite knowing the information already. Although I knew I wouldn't be very successful in this endeavour. The last lecture I'd had had been more boring than usual because I hadn't been able to integrate myself with the normal rhythm of note taking. My problem was that Yagami-kun shared my next lecture, even the thought of being in the same room made me dizzy. I carefully took my normal seat a few rows from him, far away enough that he didn't realise I was watching him but close enough to get a good view. I small voice in my head chastised myself for being so absorbed in another boy but another voice, louder than the first, reminded myself of how perfect Yagami Raito was. _Just look at him! _It said. His light brown hair framed his flawless face in a way my black locks never could. He looked so accomplished and at ease with the world. The way he sat slightly back as if the lecture hall was a trifling place he was forced to be in. My mind fogged with the normal fantasies. My favourite part where Yagami-kun asked me to call him 'Raito' was interrupted by a more annoying voice behind me whispering in my ear "Ooo! Who's that beside your boyfriend?" I lightly swatted the shinigami away from my head, masking it as a scratch.

However, the shinigami's comment did spark my interest. Another boy, no a _man_, sat next to my idol. Jealousy filled my brain as I indentified him as 'Hideki Ryuga' the only person to get 100% in all his exams except for the gorgeous boy next to him. I used quotation marks because it was obvious that 'Hideki Ryuga' was an alias. I gasped when I realised Yagami-kun was giving the thin unkempt man all his attention. They were talking as if they were...friends. But why would Yagami-kun be so interested in a clearly inferior specimen?

The stereotypical lecturer, a grey haired man with jam jar glasses, came in and took his place at the podium, placing his notes on the lectern as he did so. Once silence settled over the room he started his oration. Throughout the hour I attempted to make notes but the sight of Yagami-kun and Ryuga together took a hold on my attention. They weren't even making notes! Normally Yagami-kun was very dedicated in his note taking so that he could keep ahead of the class but it seemed he was more interested in examining his companion's profile. The other boy didn't seem to notice the scrutiny but instead chose to read a book under the table. Was this Ryuga, who hardly seemed to come to University, being a bad influence to Yagami-kun?

***

The lunch bell rang and I left as hurriedly as I could. The sight of those two together was branded onto my eyelids. I felt like Yagami-kun really was my boyfriend and he had been cheating on me. The stronger voice in my head told me that Yagami-kun was only being charitable. _Yes, that has to be it. Yagami-kun had taken in the odd man out of duty to someone with the same intellect and a clear social retardation. _I reached the cafe where I worked the lunch time shift with a slightly quieter mind. However, the shinigami refused to conform. "Hey. Hey, Mikami buy me an apple." I ignored him as best I could. "Aww, c'mon Mikami!!" He shut up after I pulled the desired fruit from my locker. After checking for other employees I threw the fruit over to him. I quickly grabbed the crisp white apron off the hook on the door and rushed out to the kitchen. Waiting for me was three fulfilled food orders which needed taking to their table.

The next few minutes went by without a hitch. My job was simple; I took customers orders, told the cook (if they wanted food) or the woman at the counter (if they wanted a drink) then took it back to the tables when it had been prepared. It may not have been the most scintillating job but it filled my lunch hours and there was always pride in doing a job well. I have never gotten an order wrong or dropped any food, although, this couldn't be said for many of my co-workers. Halfway through my working hours Ryuk made a rough noise which could loosely be interpreted as a gasp by human standards. "_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk. _Hey, Mikami. Look who's just come in!" I glanced over at the door and froze as Yagami-kun walked through the door. It wasn't that that bothered me but Ryuga had shuffled in with him. How could he have brought _that _here? Now that he was standing up I could fully comprehend how different he was from my love interest. He crouched slightly as if he didn't want to be seen, he moved awkwardly, not with my love's grace. He wore sandals instead of shoes and simple baggy clothes. I plastered on a smile in case I had to serve them.

Yagami-kun took the other boy to one of the booths at the very back of the store, not his usual table. I told Jasmine, the girl at the counter, that I was going on my break and followed them at a discrete distance. The booth the younger man chose had walls on three sides, two topped with trays of flowers. I sat in an empty booth next to them. The smaller voice in my head told me to trust Yagami-kun and leave him be but the second silenced it. Ryuk seemed very eager to listen in on the conversation too. "_Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk. _This is more exciting than T.V!" _Yes Ryuk, _I thought, _just shut up so I can hear them._

"So Ryuga-kun, would you like something to eat? They do good cake here." Ryuga-_kun. _I sneered at the over plump upholstered chair back.

"Yes, Raito-kun. That would be nice." Ryuga-_kun_'s voice was quiet and quite husky. (1) I heard Yagami-kun flag over a waitress, he placed the order and she left, her high heels creating a loud staccato on the floor. " Raito-kun..." he seemed to struggle for words "... how are you faring at your studies?" A snort escaped me at the language. He sounds like Yagami-kun's dad! The first voice told me not to be so childish but it was overruled.

"I'm doing okay." The clip clop of high heels announced the waitress's reappearance. Yagami-kun said they didn't want anything else and sent her on her way. "How's the cake?" No answer came so I presumed Ryuga-_Kun _nodded.

"Bad luck Mikami. I don't know much about humans but this sounds like an awkward first date!_ Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk."_ I glared at the shinigami for addressing my fears. It did sound like amateurish young love rather than friendly banter. This threw me somewhat, for the obvious reason but also because Yagami-kun seemed to be well versed in the ways of dating. Does his cute hesitation mean he really likes Ryuga-_kun_? Yagami-kun cleared his throat before trying again.

"Ryuga-kun, you don't look so good," I sniggered into my hand, "you haven't been sleeping have you? Well... did you ever actually sleep in the first place?" A lighter tone entered his voice but worry under lined the nonchalant words.

"Thank you for your concern Raito-kun but not sleeping is a small price to pay for our work. And yes I did use to sleep just not as much as other people."

"Ryuga-kun I know you're the head of the investigation but-"

"I would prefer it if you didn't talk of that here Yagami-kun". Ryuga-_kun_ cut across the beautiful boy. What does that mean? _Head of the investigation...._

"Wahoo! Trouble in paradise" Ryuk crudely remarked above me. A glance at my watch informed me that my break was over. The last thing I heard was Yagami-kun apologizing before I pushed my glasses back up my nose and left as stealthily as I could.

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(1) I am so sorry for that sentence. I just couldn't think of any other way to describe his luscious voice. I would have used 'luscious' but I didn't think that Mikami would say that.

The conversation between Raito and Ryuzaki wasn't very good I know but I was restricted with what they could say in public. The conversation will be better int he next chapter (I hope) I will update sveral times over the holidays when I'm not doing coursework or playing Runescape, whihc i've become a member of again!!

Please don't forget to review I would love to hear what you thought.


	6. The genius idiot

Hi!! I finally updated! I'm getting better at updating quicker. It took me ages to write this so I hope you like it.

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Stage 2) complete: Ryuzaki had unexpectedly joined me at University and then for lunch at my favourite cafe. I know this is good for my plan, but I was shocked at how happy and yet nervous I was. I couldn't stop watching him at University and then when he talked to me my normal charm scurried away into a far corner of my mind. I could barely make a coherent conversation and even then I messed up. What on earth compelled me to talk about the investigation in such a public place? Well, I guess he did find out more thing about me: that even I could cock up.

Stage 3) Get him to trust me. I was his best friend, he's said as much, but there were still things he was hiding from me. Things that were too fragile to talk about with our current situation. Perhaps my slip up affected our relationship more than I thought and he needed some space to think. Well, if its space he needs I'll give it to him. And when the time comes I will be ready to prove how much I would do for him.

* * *

I ferociously punched my pillow, wincing when my knuckle came into contact with the headboard through the fabric. _How could I do something so stupid? _I screamed in my head. My other hand made another swipe at the pillow. How could I have acted so rashly? The foundations I had been building with Ryuzaki... all gone in the space of a few minutes because I hadn't been thinking. I had acted too quickly, scared him away. I had promised myself that when it came to Ryuzaki I would give him as much time as he needed to be comfortable with me before I hit on him but I was on unfamiliar ground. With anybody else the "date" would have been a piece of cake. I would have laughed at the right points, smile when needed and be completely charming. No matter how many times I had to suffer those girls I dated to keep up my image I would never fail to get what I wanted. But one "date" with the older detective and my tricks went flying out the window. There was no way I could impress him with half-assed strategies! The only thing I could do was be myself and hoped he liked me. That's why I cocked up. I'd never been in that situation before. I didn't know what to do.

I sat on my crumpled bed nursing my slightly bloody knuckles. The entire disastrous scene kept on playing over and over in my head.

_My eyes looked at the ever increasing bags that underlined the man's black eyes. _

"_Ryuga-kun, you don't look so good. You haven't been sleeping have you? Well... did you ever actually sleep in the first place?" My awful attempt at a joke fell flat as Ryuzaki answered me completely seriously. _

"_Thank you for your concern Raito-kun but not sleeping is a small price to pay for our work. And yes I used to sleep just not as much as other people." His deadpan expression only made me worry more. I was concerned for him, much more than Ryuzaki thought. How I wished I could tell him that I wasn't worried as a friend but as a...as a would-be-lover. Maybe that's why I slipped up?_

"_Ryuga-kun I know you're the head of the investigation but-"_

"_I would prefer it if you didn't talk of that here Yagami-kun". _

I cringed at the painful memory of the disappointed look on Ryuzaki's face. The reason why I feel so bad at slipping up is that I should have known better, and Ryuzaki knows it too.

I can't describe in words how much more grown up Ryuzaki is than me. I've had always been the more sensible member of my friendship group but Ryuzaki was in another world. He could be childish, selfish and insensible but I admire him all the more for it. He is the top detective in the world for Christ's sake. He makes me feel so small. Was that why I made that blunder? Because on some childish level I need to pretend I have some superiority over him. That I have some right to be condescending towards him.

Honestly, how could I have been so stupid? Any bimbo from the cafe's blond arsenal could have overheard me. I felt like I'd let him down. My hand screwed into a fist as I contemplated striking the decimated pillow but decided it had had enough. You would have thought with the shaky start the rest of the date would be ok in comparison. Wasn't that how it was like in the story books? One person cocks up, they have a laugh about it and then enjoy the rest of their time together. But no, the "date" quickly went from bad, to worse.

"_I'm sorry" I stammered, horrified by how pitiful my voice had become. Was I really going to fall apart in front of this mature man? _

"_It's all right Raito-kun just be more discrete in the future" I was strongly reminded of a teacher and student situation. This seemed to elongate the age difference even further. I decided he needed no answer and so took a sip of my coffee. As he added another sugar cube into his coffee an odd thought occurred to me. I didn't like sweets so would I like to kiss him? His mouth must taste of all the sweet snacks he had devoured throughout the day but as he traced a delicate finger over his lips I decided it wouldn't matter. I liked to think if we started to date I could change his sweets habit but deep down, I knew I would never be able to change him. The odd fixation was as much a part of him as those intense eyes or his long limbs. _

"_Can I help Raito-kun?" He arched a thin eyebrow and I realised I had been staring. The only thing to do when your love interest catches you staring at them is come up with a believable bull-shit answer. However, it didn't help that my mind kept on repeating _Oh, crap, Oh,crap, Oh,crap_ like some kind of mantra. _

"_I was just curious," His attention was drawn from the sickeningly syrupy icing on his cake to my face as I spoke. _

"_About?" He encouraged. _

"_I..." My voiced failed me as I realised my get-out card was a strictly confidential topic. What is it about him that makes me act like Matsuda? He popped the last morsel of cake into his mouth and an idea occurred to me. I put money on the table and stood up expectantly._

"_Would you like to come to my house, where we can talk privately?" _

"_What about University Raito-kun?"_

"_I don't have any more lectures today," My confidence deflated at his indecisive expression, "my father is at work," _he knows that! my mind screamed at me "_and my mum and sister are out." _

My mind goes blank. All I could remember was him reluctantly accepting and then taking his car back to my house. The lack of detail in my memory resulted from focusing on nothing but him on the way and then reveling in the knowledge that we were in my room. Alone. Thank God I always tidy my room before I leave for University.

_The beautiful seraph perched uncertainly on my bed, in that delightfully odd way of his. I sat in my office chair, and surveyed him from across the room. I wanted to give him some room to breathe and as the distance was good to watch him from I was more than pleased with my decision. _

"_Raito-kun what was it you were so curious about?" He asked me, keeping his eyes on his hands. This stumped me for a second before I realised what he was talking about._

"_Well, I was just wondering why you spend so much time and effort trying to catch Kira." The angel nodded in a guarded way. "Why do you disagree with him? I understand that murdering isn't the right way to go about it but do you not share the same goal? Making the place safer for good law abiding citizens." I verifed. It wasn't until I'd finished I realised how that looked. _Shit, he's going to think I'm Kira. _But rather than panic I looked at him with unguarded attention. If we were going to get to know each other there was no way I should conceal behind my mask. He examined my face, his eyes widening slightly. I felt my resolve shrink under his scrutiny but resisted the temptation to tell him to forget it. Ryuzaki hugged his legs closer before answering._

"_He is threatening my livelihood, Raito-kun. If he killed off all the evil doers I would have no cases to investigate." I was momentarily blinded by his use of the phrase "evil doers"- had Ryuzaki ever seemed more like a super hero? A smile broke out on my face at the thought before I carried on with the interrigation._

"_That can't be your real answer Ryuzaki," I insisted. Despite his mask I knew him better than to except that he was only fighting Kira to protect his role in society._

"_That is my reason, Raito-kun." At my sceptical look he carried on, smiling softly. "But you are right. It isn't my only reason. I protect society in my own limited way. I believe in the justice system and not just because I am a key part of it. The villains I catch are sent to court and then are jailed, that is how it should be." A steely glint entered those usually vacant orbs. "But when only one person decides the outcome the system breaks down. There is no room for negotiation, no room for understanding." Ryuzaki clocked my look of surprise before carrying on "Kira's system does not take into account the situation. Kira cannot discern between a woman who murdered her lover, and a woman who killed him after being abused by him for several years. You see, Raito-kun? Kira's judgement is limited because he does not see the entire situation."_

_I nodded. My respect for him increased until it filled my heart. _No, it's not respect. _I told myself. _It's love.

_I got up from my seat and walked across the room towards him. His eyes warily followed my progress as I settled gracefully next to him. Hurt pinged through my chest as he shuffled further away from me._

"_I agree, Ryuzaki. I've never seen it from that angle before. All I had thought was the conventional response: 'murdering is wrong so we should stop him'. But now," I hesitated looking into those empty pits, "now I realise there is more to it. More reasons why we should stop him." He nodded in agreement, flashing me that magnificent half-moon smile. The death grip on his legs loosened a little as he seemed to decide I was being serious. "Ryuzaki," I whispered._

_His head cocked to one side, curiosity plain on his face. I sincerely hoped that the emotion was easy for me to read because he trusted me more, and was being more open._

"_We should catch him together," I reached over and placed my hand gently on top of his, my tanned skin contrasting with his pale glow. I squeezed his hand in an unmistakeably romantic gesture, freezing the angelic man in place._

_The next few seconds passed so quickly. He withdrew speedily from my room as if I had punched him. In the few seconds it had taken him to leave my room he had already phoned for Watari to come pick him up. I followed him downstairs armed with several profuse apologies. The look on his face stopped the apologies in my throat. His look scared me. His face wasn't empty of emotion and neither was it decorated with the shyness I had expected._

_It was filled with a great pain. An all consuming pain that stopped the breath in my chest. I wanted to comfort him, ask him what was wrong but I couldn't bring myself to touch him. He averted his face and looked away from me. We said nothing before he left._

How could I have been so stupid? All it was was a small squeeze of the hand. Something that, with a normal boy, would only have resulted in an awkward conversation. But Ryuzaki was anything but normal. I had long come to terms that he must have been mistreated when he was young, why else would he be so anti-social? But it seems that my pathetic plan had touched a particularly painful nerve. But what could it have been that made him look like his heart had shattered?

I quickly added a new stage to my plan.

Stage 3a) I would still try to get him to trust and, eventually, confide in me. But first I must repair the damage I had unwittingly inflicted upon our friendship. Even if, at the end of all this, he still wasn't attracted to me I would still like to keep the friendship of this fragile otherworldly creature.

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Oh wow... i'm glad I finished this chapter and i'm sorry there isn't any real plot developement but I did say that the conversation would be a bit better.

Please don't forget to review I would really love to hear your opinion.


	7. When it hits the fan

Hi! Wow, i'm really proud of this chapter: it's a lot longer than the other ones. I want to thank my beta who made this chapter make sense. I would also like to thank myself,because without me I couldn't have done it. I hope you like it.

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Misa's POV

I let out an exhausted sigh as I stepped into my penthouse apartment. It took so much energy being a model! But the money made it worth the late nights. I kicked off my black platforms before locking the door. I set the safety latch and moved the full umbrella stand in front of the door as an extra warning in case of intruders, a habit I had picked up from when my parents had been slaughtered by a burglar a few years ago. (1)

I walked through the lavish living room to my bedroom, shaking my hair to rid it of the light raindrops. The door closed with a delicate snap. My bedroom was my sanctuary. It was a calm place where I could be myself. The curtains were thick black velvet, black blinds hung behind them. The carpet was also black, matching the bedspread, lamp shade and the one plush chair next to the unused desk. The only other colour was a neutral cream which clashed delightfully with the sombre furnishings.

My bed bounced lightly when I jumped on it, causing a mass of black feathers to erupt from one of the pillows that had thoughtlessly been left out.

"Oh, I'm so tired," I whined at the ceiling.

"Then why do you not quit?" Rem asked me. I opened a lazy eye to look at the bleached skeletal shinigami.

"Because," I sighed. Rem watched me silently before resigning herself to the likely event of not getting an explanation. My hand reached out to grasp a picture frame on my nightstand.

"Who is that?" Rem asked indifferently. I bounced on my spongy mattress so I was sitting up; delighted she had finally shown interest in something I was excited about.

"This is Raito-kun! He's my future husband," I squealed. Rem walked, or she seemed to float _I wish I could do that _I thought, her bones creaking as she went so she could look at the picture frame. The boy was looking forward, no hint of a smile on his face, in a plain black suit. However, despite Raito-kun's seems lack of fashion style in the photo it was obvious that he could look good in a potato sack. I would have preferred him smiling but the photo was from his university ID. It was amazing what you could find on the internet!

It was difficult for Rem to understand the attraction between Misa and this Raito-kun. When she first came to earth all the humans looked the same. From her world the only distinguishable features were their names and their life expectancy. However, Misa began to point out the differences to her. "_The hair on our head varies in colour. In Japan it is usually black or dark brown. Blond people like me," Misa stopped to giggle, "are usually foreigners. Some people have hair on their chin", at my blank look she clarified, "the bottom part of the face. These people are always men, unless they're really ugly women."_

When Rem looked at the photo of this boy she didn't see the attraction that Misa did. _He looks ugly to me,_ she thought. He had a longish head, with light brown hair, a nose in the middle, two eyes above and a single mouth below. His eyes were an almond colour with two darker lines of hair above them.

"Oh, he's so handsome," I pined.

"Misa?" I dragged my eyes away from the photo.

"Yes, Rem?"

"What is a 'husband?" _It must be one of their odd customs, _the shinigami thought.

"A husband is a man who is married to a woman. When we get married I'll be Raito-kun's wife. The husband cares for and loves his wife." I stopped to look up at my ever-present companion. "Oh! You don't know what marriage is do you Rem? You poor thing..." _Did that shinigami roll her eyes at me?!_ I carried on a little huffier than I meant to, "A marriage is when two people agree to be together forever. It must be so _sad _not to have anyone to marry, right Rem?" I looked up from under my eyelashes at the white shinigami. I had expected her to cry or something but she only seemed amused. _She is so weird, _I thought. _All girls want to get married._

"Forever is a very long time, Misa. Why would you only want to be with one male?"

"Uhh! You're not getting it," I flipped onto my back holding Raito-kun's picture at arms length. I closed my eyes and imagined a real life Raito-kun. One that was warm, and smiling. One that was holding my hand and laughing at a joke I had made.

"_Oh, Misa-chan," he whispered. I leaned into his chest inhaling the smell of him. "Misa, there's something I wanted to ask you," he pulled me away from him. I looked into his shining eyes. A blush dusted his cheeks._

"_What is it, my love," I whispered back. He slowly sank to his knees, pulling out a black velvet box._

"_Misa. Every second I'm with you I feel complete. I don't want that feeling to stop. I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me?"_

"Yes! I will marry you Raito-kun!" My lips moved dangerously close to the picture of Raito-kun.

"Misa?" Rem said, popping my fantasy like a bubble.

"What?" I yelled, throwing an over plump pillow at the God of death, feeling disappointed when it went straight through her. "What is it Rem?" I asked more calmly, grieving at the loss of my fantasy.

"Isn't it time for your plan to air?" My eyes flicked open. I bounded across the room to turn on the plain black TV.

"Of course! Oh, I wonder if Kira will be watching?" I gently placed the picture of the brunet back on my nightstand. "If he is, I hope he's proud of me," I mused aloud. _I wonder if Kira-sama is as handsome as Raito-kun._

I want to impress Kira-sama so much. It was he who punished the burglar that killed my parents. I owe him so much. L had made fun of my Kira-sama, now it was my time to punish him. (2)

I opened the window and put my binoculars to my eyes, glad for the first time that my apartment faced the Sakura TV building. From where I was now sitting I had a good view of the front door. However, I did hope I would never have to use that advantage.

"I would like to emphasize once again that these tapes are not being broadcast as a hoax or for purposes of sensationalism," the presenter told the nationwide audience.

***

L's POV

I took a shaky breath after plopping in my favourite chair, my arms tightly wrapped around my legs. I closed my eyes, just for a moment, to calm myself down, to 'find my centre' for lack of a better phrase. The shock of Raito-kun touching me in such an intimate gesture shocked me. To be honest, I was a little angry. What gave him the right, a boy who I hardly knew, to do that to me? Wasn't it obvious I was a little more than adverse to contact? I clasped my hands together around my knees, examining where Raito-kun had touched me.

"Why did I react in such a harsh way?" I asked the empty room. Just like everything I began to meticulously analyse my emotions and the reasons behind them. It was only yesterday when Raito-kun's father told me that the teen had fallen and hit his head. I had been so worried. Over coffee I thought Raito-kun seemed a little...off. So I decided to accompany him back home. I told myself that it was because he was my friend. But surely a friend wouldn't feel sick at the thought of their companion being hurt, would they? Seeing as I had little experience in this field I tucked this particular problem into the unused corner of my mind where I hid my few unsolved dilemmas.

I swiftly moved onto the next problem. Why did I react in such a way when he touched me? Was it because he was my friend and it seemed unnatural for a friend to touch another friend like that? Was it because I was unused to such intimate contact? Was it because he was my only Kira suspect? I should never have allowed myself to get into such a confidential situation with my suspect. Or was it because I liked it? I liked the intimacy of that one single touch. I absolutely loved the warmth of Raito-kun's hand on my own cold paw. After I felt that one touch I felt myself instantly clamour for more. I wanted Raito-kun to touch me, to hold me, to make me feel loved. I was scared by that. I've never felt that way about anyone due to my hermit-like existence. However, I had been a teenager like everyone else and on the rare occasions I allowed myself to imagine a scenario where I had a lover I never thought it would be someone I couldn't be with. I swear this was punishment for something I had done in a past life.

I champed savagely on my thumb. Raito-kun was so perfect. He was handsome to the point of being beautiful; his body was beyond compare and his intelligence only rivaled by my own. So why did he have to be my number one Kira suspect? My head felt heavy all of a sudden and so I laid it on my knees. This was bad. One part of me wanted to believe Raito-kun, and then we could maybe be happy together. However, another part of me, a larger part, wanted him to be Kira. If he wasn't I would have been proven wrong, and I was never wrong. It was this part that whispered 'Raito-kun is lying. It's not like Raito-kun to act that way'. _No. It's not like Kira to act that way, _I argued back.

I should have been helping with the investigation but all I could think of was that lovely man. I quickly made a decision that would ensure the investigation's smooth running just as my phone began to vibrate. I had to unlock my legs before I could fish inside my pocket for the blue phone. I flipped it open just as the vibration stopped. I sighed and listened to the voicemail, my eyes widening in response. It plainly said:

"Ryuzaki, you have to come to the headquarters _now. _It's crucial," Watari's voice cut out.

Did the others not realise I was back yet? I unfolded myself from the chair and strode across the thin cream carpet. My hand rested against the cool metal as I took a deep steadying breath. When I pushed open the door my ears were offended by the sound of Matsuda.

"Wow! That sure was quick L- I mean Ryuzaki," He smiled uncertainly in my direction before returning to the television which the other members of the task force were crowded around, Watari included. The others didn't look up at my entrance but Aizawa moved aside for me. What I next heard shocked me to the core. I ensconced myself into a spare chair in a daze and watched dumbfounded at the broadcast from Sakura TV.

Rain lashed on the window pane and thunder rumbled in the distance. The clouds had turned vengeful and black, quickly blotting out the sun in the short time I had been home. Another rumble, the pounding rain increased its assault on the window and yet, despite all the outside noise, the voice emanating from the plain TV screen could easily be heard.

"**I am Kira,"** said the scrambled voice.

On the screen the word 'Kira' had been written in the same gothic style I had used with my first challenge to Kira. _Was it on purpose....? It was a far too childish and unsubtle attack. Not one I had expected from Kira. _A suspicious feeling came over me. (3)

"**If this video is aired exactly at 5:59 P.M. on April 18****th**** it is now 5:59 and, 38, 39, 40 seconds... Please switch channels to Taiyo TV. The news anchor, Mr Kazuhiko Hibima, will die of a heart attack at precisely six P.M."**

"What?" Matsuda asked at the television.

"There's no way..." Aizawa-san mumbled. Yagami-san and Ukita-san stood in shocked silence. It seemed I was the only one whose brain was working.

"Change the channel!" I said impatiently.

The screen changed to a picture of two women, one was screaming and the other crying. Between the two a man was slumped over the desk. I presumed it was Mr Hibima.

"Switch back to Sakura," I ordered Ukita-san, who was in control of the remote. He complied quicker this time. "Watari bring in another TV in here...No, two more sets."

"Of course," the elderly man replied, hurrying out of the room, his hands clasped in front of him.

"**Mr Hibima has constantly referred to Kira as 'evil' in his news reports. This was his punishment,"**

I winced at this new statement. My stomach welled up with guilt at the thought of all Mr Hibima had lost. He would never see his family again, see his children grow up. Kira had just wiped his existence clean. I couldn't help feel that this was my fault. _If only I had caught Kira before now_. I bit my thumb, pushing down the never ending list of 'if only' that haunted my thoughts.

"**But one demonstration alone does not serve as absolute proof. I will present you with another. My next target is a commentator who has also condemned me repeatedly. He is scheduled to be appearing live on the air at this time..."** The garbled voice continued.

"Go to channel 24!" I ordered once more. The second horrifying picture contained a group of people surrounding a freshly dead presenter. Several more people were running from off screen, equipped with headphones. I took a second to process this information. No matter how many times I witness such indifference to human's rights to live, I am still human. I am still affected.

"Kira is trying to send a message to people all over the world..." I whispered, not quite believing it. "We have to make them stop this broadcast or something terrible is going to happen!" I continued more forcibly. I didn't need to specify what would happen to get the members moving, as they had been standing in a daze since the show started. _So much for policemen's quick reflexes. _

"I'll get Sakura TV's phone number!" Matsuda exclaimed as he dived for the phone. Yagami-san and Ukita-san stood around Matsuda at a loss for better things to do. Aizawa flipped open his mobile.

"**I trust you now believe that I really am Kira." **

"It's hopeless... every single number I've tried in the entire station's busy..." Matsuda mumbled.

Aizawa growled in frustration. "My friend who works there has his cell phone turned off!" The irate man slapped his mobile closed, but kept it in his palm. Ukita glared out at the wind soaked window before turning on his heel.

"I'm going over there to make them stop it myself!" Ukita ran through the door frame almost bowling over Watari has he wheeled in two TV sets on a tea trolley.

"Ukita!" Matsuda screamed after him.

"**Please listen to me carefully. I do not want to kill innocent people."**

"Bullshit!" Aizawa yelled at the screen.

"**I hate evil and love justice. I do not consider the police my enemies, but my allies in my fight against evil."**

_Damn you Kira..._ I thought. I tasted metal and realised I had broken the skin on my thumb. Outside a police siren could be heard gradually decreasing in volume.

"**My aim is to rid the world of evil and create a just society. If you will join me in this mission, it can be easily accomplished. If you do not try to capture me, no innocent people will die. And even then if you do not agree with me, if you refrain from publicising your views in the media or in public, you will be spared. And then, simply wait. In a short time, the world will be changed for the better. I'm sure you will agree."**

Ukita-san gripped the steering wheel of his squad car tightly. _Yeah right, you won't hurt any innocent people. What about the people who have already been killed because of you, you bastard! _He thought.

"**I can do it. I can change the world and make it a place inhabited by good, kind hearted people." **The computerised voice emitted from the car radio. The dark-haired man screeched to a halt outside Sakura TV's office building. Not even before the vehicle had stopped Ukita burst from the car and ran to the door. Inside the lobby was a scared security guard.

"Dammit, it's locked!" Ukita-san exclaimed when he tried to open the door. He began thumping on the door, instead. "Police! Open up! I don't believe this-" He growled as the security guard shook his head. Ukita-san took out his hand gun, warning he guard to move back, unaware of the red eyes watching him from across the street.

Pins and needles struck his left arm. Ukita-san slumped to the floor, his heart unable to beat.

"This just in! Someone is reported to have collapsed in front of Sakura TV!" A reporter's voice informed the members of the taskforce. The small screen that Watari had provided showed the gruesome scene of their companion slumped on the pavement in front of the building. _What a waste, _I thought. "We are reporting live from in front of Sakura TV. For safety reasons I cannot stand in front of the camera, but what you are seeing here is live coverage!" The reporter assured the viewers.

"My God! Kira got him...?" Aizawa-san asked the room at large, gripping the TV screen, as if he didn't believe what he was seeing. Yagami-san patted Matsuda who had started to cry softly on his arm. Aizawa-san attempted to head out of the room before I could stop him.

_Aizawa Shuichi – status: married to Aizawa Eriko. One daughter: Aizawa Yumi_

I couldn't allow him to leave the hotel room. If he did his life would be lost just like Ukita-san's and how would his family cope without him?

"Forget it Aizawa-san. Where do you think you're going?" My calm voice seemed out of place considering the situation.

"To Ukita, where else? And I'm going to get those damn videos and bring them back here." Aizawa-san said through gritted teach, his hands itching to punch someone, namely me.

"If you go over there now, you'll get killed." I stated plainly.

"Are you trying to tell me to sit here and watch television, Ryuzaki?" Aizawa-san replied, his voice dripping with venom. I sensed it would be best not to respond but if I didn't Aizawa-san might interpret it as acquiescence of his actions.

"I'm trying to tell you to calm down and be realistic. I want to stop that video as much as you do." _More than you can imagine. _"And if we manage to confiscate the entire package, the way it was sent, there's a good chance we can track Kira down. But if Ukita-san was murdered by Kira, whoever goes there now will end up dead, too."

The message carried on regardless of Ukita-san's death. "**Making this a world free of evil, free of crime, is..."** It was momentarily drowned out by another reporter's voice keeping them updated on the removal of the corpse.

"This means his phony police ID didn't help him!" Aizawa-san pushed on referring to the fake ID's I had issued them when we first agreed to work together. "Kira knows our real names. Has to. There's no other explanation!"

"That might be true. But if you're right, it would make much more sense for Kira to murder everyone on the taskforce," I explained more to myself than the others in the room. Something about Aizawa-san's explanation didn't sit right with me. "I deduced that Kira needs to know someone else's name and face to kill them, but from seeing this, I'd have to conclude that seeing their face alone could be enough... All I can say for sure at this time is... Ukita-san was killed because he went over there. It happened before the other networks started reporting from in front of Sakura TV. And that means Kira is either inside Sakura TV, or someplace where he can see people entering Sakura. That or he set up surveillance cameras there in advance." The Sakura TV building was surrounded by expensive apartments. Anyone could be looking down from them...

"Well, if Kira's around there right now, that's all the more reason for us to go!!" Aizawa insisted. _Why is he so intent on killing himself? Can't he see he'll be of more use to the investigation alive!?_

"I'll say it again- If you go there now, you. Will. Be. Killed. Please understand." I allowed just a hint of the desperation I was feeling come out in my voice. It was a technique I had developed years ago, if I could slowly release my pent up emotions then I could continue the investigation with analytical detail.

"No, I don't understand...Ukita might've been murdered!! By Kira!! I thought we were risking our lives to arrest that bastard!!" Aizawa-san gripped my shoulder hard. I stopped myself from flinching away from the contact but I couldn't take the stupidity spewing out of Aizawa's mouth any longer.

_Can't he see how important he is to the investigation? Can't he see I don't want any more loss of life?_

"Risking your life and doing something that could easily rob you of your life are different. I understand your feelings, but please try to control yourself. Right now, Ukita-san is dead...if you go over there and lose your life too, Aizawa-san..." This isn't good. I gripped my legs tighter to stop them from shaking but the other members had already probably already seen.

Aizawa-san's breathing slowed down to normal, the adrenaline leaving his body. Matsuda, having stopped crying a while ago, gripped the man's shoulder in a mockery of the violent embrace Aizawa-san had gave me.

"Ummm, guys?" Matsuda asked. I lifted my heavy eyes to look at the man's confused expression. "Where's the Chief?" It seemed that during the confrontation Yagami-san had quietly left the hotel room. It was a testimony to the intensity of my argument with Aizawa-san that Matsuda was the observant one.

"**Are the police ready to work with me in creating a just world? Their answer to this question will be announced in four days time, on April 22****nd****, at the top of the six o'clock nightly news. Starting at 6:10 P.M. on April 22****nd****, Sakura TV will air one of two videos-one if the police say 'yes' and the other if the police say 'no'."**

A crunching sound emitted from the TV screen drawing the three men's attention. The image on the screen would stay in my memory forever. It was of an armoured police vehicle crashing through the glass doors of Sakura TV, the security guard diving out of the way.

"**If it is an official police announcement no spokesperson has to appear on the screen." **The garbled message concluded.

"We will report any new information as soon as... Oh My God! An armoured van has crashed into the lobby of Sakura TV!! It appears to be a police vehicle! The armoured van belongs to the police!" The excited reporter explained to viewers who didn't have eyes.

"What the hell?!" Matsuda and Aizawa asked in unison.

"Well..." I started, taking a breath, "that's certainly one way of entering without anyone seeing your face."

* * *

I'm really sorry that I had to steal a lot of the dialogue from the manga but I hope it was ok anyway.

Here are somethings that my beta didn't get. I thought they were kinda obvious but it might just be me being weird.

(1) The umbrella stand would make some noise if it was knocked over. I don't know how useful it would be in such a situation but this _is _Misa we're talking about and she's anything but rational.

(2) L 'made fun' of Kira when he challenged him before. This hasn't featured in my fic but it still happened.

(3) L's spidey sense is tingling!!

I hope you liked it! I would really like to know what you liked or didn't like so don't forget to review!


	8. My L

Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's taking me so long to update but i've been preoccupied by Frustration! If anyone is interested in James/Snape, Remus/Lucius or Rodolphus/Sirius please read it! Umm...hmmm...oh yeah! I wanted to warn all of you that i've joined the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) so for all of November I won't update at all. This is because I will be busy writing a novel of at least 50,000 words (they expect contestants to write complete rubbish so I should be ok). I really recommend people join up if you've ever thought about writing a novel! So until the 1st of November I will be updating mostly this story as much as possible!

WARNING: I've had to use some words and things from the manga because I want to keep this part of the plot similar. I have changed the words a little and skipped a bit because it is a little boring just copying from a book! I want no credit for the origianl story line!!!!

Anyway, I've babbled enough so on with the story. I hope you like it!

* * *

"_Oh My God! An armoured van has crashed into the lobby of Sakura TV!! It appears to be a police vehicle! The armoured van belongs to the police!"_

***

Yagami-san's POV

Do you know what it's like facing your death? Do you know what it is like watching yourself as if from some great distance as you hurtle towards something so solid? Do you know what it is like seeing it, knowing that it is yours? That it has been marked just for you? I do. It is time like this that I do believe in such childish fairytales like Shinigami or Kappas. I wish they were true because if such magical things existed maybe there was a way I could rewind life for just a few minutes. It's odd the things you think of when you're sure you're going to die. Even though there is only a few seconds before impact, there is still all the time in the world. What was I thinking? I know I had to help but what about my family? What about Sachiko and Sayu? Would they be ok without me? Well, Raito would look after them. And what of Raito? He was such a perfect son...such a good boy...will I never get to see him grow up? _He is a fine man but he still has plenty of growing to do. He thought he was so mature when he has really experienced nothing. _

All these things flung themselves in and out of my brain. But now, it was only filled with terror. _This was a silly idea_, I thought. I was attempting to break into the Sakura TV headquarters and confiscate the Kira tapes. _Anything to help the investigation. Sachiko always did say I was too reckless. _It wasn't the doors that worried me. They were only glass and an armoured police vehicle would easily withstand it. It was the wall behind it and the inevitable jarring pain as I hit the wall if I couldn't break soon enough. Seatbelts and airbags were built to help people survive things like this but as the last few meters whizzed past, too fast, they seemed flimsy. How could elastic and a pillow protect me against _that_? It happened all too quickly.

**CRASH!**

I broke through the door, shards of glass exploding in all directions. I was dimly aware of the security guard flinging himself out of the way but there was not enough time to think about that. No time. I pushed on the breaks.

**SCREECH!**

The brake pads struggled to stop the wheels rotating. _You should always brake in bits. Put your foot down then release. Down then release. That way the wheels keep spinning and won't slide._ I could almost hear my driving instructor give me a big, fat zero. I felt myself jerk forward, the seatbelt tightened around my chest, stopping me from going through the windshield. Then it was all over.

_Thank God..._

Reality rushed back as quickly as it had left. I have to stop the Kira broadcasts or Ukita's life would have been wasted. _He had been so promising. _I could still remember his first day on the force. He was a very nervous man, but a very kind one. When he got over his butterflies after the first day he turned out to be a very capable officer and a good friend. This was the least I could do for him. My sense of propriety restored I shakily unclasped my seatbelt and got out of the car, my jacket over my head in case Kira was watching.

"H-hey," the guard said. I trained my black eyes on him and he jumped.

"Where's the studio airing the Kira video?" I gruffly asked him. _By God if he gives me any trouble..._I was not in the mood to mess around. Luckily he obediently told me that it was on the second floor.

I strode across the lobby up the stairs, not trusting the elevators. I reached studio G-6 and pushed open the doors.

"Police! Stop this broadcast immediately!!" Inside the room were a few men, within their early to late thirties, placed around monitors who jumped at the sudden intrusion. A fat, middle-age man stood in the centre of the room watching the broadcast; I guessed he was the man running the shows. Since he just blinked dully at my interference I yelled: "I said, stop the Kira video NOW!" Sometimes it was better to shout to get people moving. However the fat man didn't seem to understand the concept.

"Just...wait a minute detective....if we stop this video we'll all be killed," the man held out his hands in a placating gesture.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! An innocent man is dead!" I was not used to feeling such misanthropy but in that room I could easily see why Kira did what he did. Ukita died a noble death trying to protect people and this..._man _was weak enough to let people like Ukita die as he hid and whined from behind his TV screen. He made a profit out of it too. _The world would be a better place without him..._The thought filled me with horrible foreboding and I shrank away from it.

"Uh...um? Today's video just finished..." one of the men at the monitors said to the fat man. Realisation struck and I saw red.

"So it's you, is it? You're that Demegawa who's been playing up the Kira case for all it's worth? You're the one who's been showing all those specials despite the warnings we've issued? You think the whole thing's very funny, don't you?"

"I...I had no idea it would turn into this, I swear," Demegawa broke out into a flop sweat. "Go easy on me officer...ha ha ha," his fake laugh grated on my nerves.

"The package was addressed to you, wasn't it?"

"...Yeah..."

"Give me those tapes," Demegawa visibly flinched as my voice turned icy, "Give me the whole package exactly as you received it!" I said slowly.

"But... like I said if I give the tapes to you we won't be able to broadcast them. And then we'll all be killed. All of us," he gestured at the silent, terrified crew members.

I'd had enough of his asinine attempts to save his own ass so I quickly drew out my gun. _Hopefully now he'll get the point..._

"Hey!" a man said as he backed into the corner. The only exit was behind me so I didn't have to worry about him.

"Hand the tapes over. At least that way you won't be killed _now."_

"Wh-what do you think you're doing?! Are you crazy?"

"This is no less than what you deserve after airing those tapes and treating Kira as a star. I'd say you're reaping what you sowed. If after watching the tapes I decide they are ok for you to air they'll be returned to you," Demegawa's disgusting eyes lit up at this promise. I nudge the gun closer to him.

"All right," he said. He opened a desk drawer and took out the tapes. He then arranged them on the desk so I could see all of the tapes and the packaging.

"That's the envelope they came in. There's the two pages of writing and the four tapes. That's all we were sent."

_Would he really just give me all the tapes...? No, a cretin like Demegawa would never let go of a money making opportunity like the Kira tapes so easily. _

"These do look like the master tapes. But would you really air the originals?" I gave him a fair chance to willingly show me the copies but as he stayed silent I decided to give him a little incentive. "Hand over all the copies you made! Every single one! And don't you dare try to fool me Demegawa, it won't end well for you."

"Okay, okay! Just calm down! I'm getting them now. J-Just stop waving that gun around. You look so crazy!" The last sentence he seemed to say more to himself. Demegawa desperately dug through a holdall until he found a large zip lock bag, his piggish eyes never leaving my gun. He threw the bag towards me and I easily caught it. Inside was a copy of the four tapes. I gathered the originals.

Then I thanked them and apologised for interrupting their work. With that I walked back out the door and towards the lobby.

***

Raito's POV

_4 days later..._

"**It's such a shame that the police have said "no" to my kind offer. However, I do expect news reports featuring criminals to carry on as before or else I will have to start punishing police members and media personalities. But....now that the police has defied me that will not do. As punishment I will have to take the life of the Director-General of the NPA who has set up a taskforce to find and capture me...or...as an alternative I could take the life of the alleged mastermind "L" who has been rumoured to be helping the NPA. So, which one will it be? "L" or the Director-General?"**

Kira explained what "L" would have to do if he was chosen.

"**You have four days. Think it over, and think well..." **it finished.

My stomach turned to water and I had to run to the bathroom. I dry heaved over the toilet in my ensuite, my throat was raw by the time I was finish. I moved to the ceramic white sink and splashed water over my face. The face in the mirror seemed so alien to me. The usually perfect auburn air was plastered to my head from water and sweat. My tanned face was pale white and I was shaking. It was definitely still me but how could I look so similar and yet so different? I quickly realised the difference. I was worried.

I was never worried. I lived in a perpetual state of calm, I was always so relaxed. It started with Kira, I suppose. Everything started with Kira. At first he was an evil man who needed to be caught, as simple as that. Then L came into my life and gave me the means to do this. Even though he still suspects me there is no need to worry. I know I'm not Kira. Even when I fell in love with L and messed everything up, there was no real need to worry. All I have to do is start again. There will always be other opportunities. There will be times to rebuild my friendship with L, see him smile for me again. There may even be times when he will hold my hand and not feel scared or guilty. In the future we could catch Kira together, live and be together. Sleep together and eat together. Just existing with him would be enough.

L would be forced to appear on Sakura TV, I knew he would. No government leader would favour L over the Director-General and when that happened there would be no more chances. No chances to apologise for hitting on him too soon. No more chances to see him smile, to see him frown. If Kira killed L he wouldn't breathe anymore. He wouldn't speak or laugh. His beautiful strange black eyes would be dull and devoid of that curious spark. His brain wouldn't work anymore. His body wouldn't be able to move. He would just...end. What made L 'L' would be gone and wouldn't come back. We wouldn't be able to talk anymore. We wouldn't be able to fight anymore.

Pure anger and hatred spread throughout my body. I would not let Kira do that to L. I would protect L no matter what.

My original goal was to get L to trust me, then to love me. But now it seems my new goal is to keep him alive. And I will. Even if it kills me I won't let that bastard break my L.

***

L's POV

The Investigation team was gathered around the table in one of my hotel rooms. Yagami-san opened the door and tersely took his seat.

"How did it go Chief?" Aizawa's hushed voice was getting on my nerves. Ever since Kira demanded I starred on Sakura TV the other members had been speaking as if I was already on my death bed.

"Just as I thought, Ryuzaki...world leaders have talked it over among themselves, and they're demanding that the real L should appear on TV. Dammit, after doing nothing to help with the case they don't even try to come up with an alternative! Kira says jump, and they say how high," the Chief trailed off, his fists resting on his knees.

"Their decision is both right and reasonable," the others jumped. _What did they think I would react? Curse how cruel fate was? Honestly...they were noble enough but they could be so dense sometimes._

"It is unacceptable for the police to work with Kira. And if it is between me and the NPA Director-General, of course it should be me. I'm the one who challenged Kira in the first place," _and the police would never sacrifice one of their own, anyway, _I thought. "It's the right decision," I concluded.

"But...that means you'll...be," Matsuda looked genuinely upset that I might die. I felt a little nauseated by this. If anyone should be worried it would be Raito-kun. _Raito-kun! He hasn't been contacted yet, has he? _I cursed myself for being so unfeeling. _Raito-kun must be feeling very useless right now... wait? Being so 'unfeeling'? When did I become such a mother hen around Raito-kun? _I was highly aware that I would have to respond to Matsuda.

"There is no need to worry. I do not want to die myself. Being killed by Kira is bad enough but being killed by an impersonator would be just plain annoying."

"What do you mean by that Ryuzaki?" Most of the task force members were far too shocked by my statement, Matsuda even half jumped out of his chair but at least the Chief could act in a reasonable way. His actions gave me some hope for the human race.

"It occurred to me as I watched the videos...that this Kira is most likely to be a fake. Or even a Second Kira."

"A Second Kira!!"

"B-But how did you figure that out? I watched the same videos as you..." Matsuda said, clearly using his vast brain power to remember any mention of a 'second Kira' in the videos.

"I believe this," I started to clarify, "because of the victims. Don't you think they were completely different from the past ones? The Kira we have been dealing with up to now only killed criminals and the FBI agents I used to investigate the NPA. This shows that he would only deviate from his plan when it was absolutely necessary. But this Kira killed just to get some credibility. I don't like his style...it's nothing like Kira's," I trailed off, making a face as if I was given coffee with only seven sugars in it.

"I have other reasons for suspecting a Second Kira," Yagami-san looked up. "But first I believe we are missing an important member of the task force and it would be for the best if I explained with him with us as well." I felt myself smile fondly at the thought of Raito-kun. I'm not sure why I reacted in such a way...I decided to think about it more when there was spare time. _Perhaps Raito-kun and I could talk about it..._After the shock of my hand being held had worn off I was left with a painful yearning. _I need to talk to Raito-kun but not now. Not when it was highly unlikely we could get any privacy and not with the stress of a Second Kira so fresh on our minds._

"Of course, Ryuzaki. I'll go call Raito now."

As Yagami-san moved to stand up I added, "Yagami-san? When you call Raito-kun I know I do not need to remind you not to say anything about the case. But I do not want anyone," I stopped to stare at Matsuda, "to tell him about our suspicions of a second Kira even when he gets here."

"Why not? Won't that make it more difficult for Raito-kun to work with us?" Aizawa-san said. He still seemed a little waspish about our argument a few days previous.

"I only wish for no one to mention it when he first comes. We will give him the Kira tapes for him to watch and we'll let him come to his own conclusion. If he does not think of a Second Kira we will tell him anyway," I reassured the group of astounded men. I couldn't wait for Raito-kun to get here.

Even though I didn't realise it then, that first compulsion to tease Raito-kun had made way for the first ache of affection that I had ever felt in my life.

* * *

Well then...I hoped you like the story! I've already started writing the next chapter (oooo that's a first eh?) and so it shouldn't be too long till I update again.

So, what will happen in the next chapter? Will L and Raito-kun's relationship progress anymore? Or will I drag it out even longer?

And what was this mysterious decision L made in the last chapter to make sure the investigation kept on running smoothly? You know, the decision you've all forgotten about? (go back to just before Watari phones L).

You'll all have to wait till I update to find out! Ha!


	9. Reality

Howdy children! I've managed to update! Wow! :) I hope you all like it but before you continue **PLEASE READ THIS! **Ok, I know everyone has forgotten about it and I did mention it at the end of last chapter but who really reads those end notes? I just need to remind you that the decision L made to ensure the investigations smooth running is very important for later chapters so please remember it!!

WARNING: I have had to use some of the manga dialogue (again) but I have changed the words and missed out a lot because it is just plain boring copying out of a book!

SPOILER WARNING: This chapter and future chapters will contain some spoilers to _Another Note: The LABB murder case. _They won't be major spoilers (I don't think). I don't think they'll spoil it very much if you havn't read it yet. Also you won't have to have read it for the upcoming chapters to make sense: I will semi-explain any references to the book I make during chapters if I make any references at all.

Now that that is done please enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Suffocating darkness pressed in on all sides. The incredible amount and weight of the earth hurt. I couldn't breathe. There was no air to breathe even if I could.

I scrabbled and clawed my way forward, or upward, I wasn't really sure anymore. I could feel my lungs burning. _It was farther than I'd expected, _I thought. I took a desperate breath and felt dirt go up my nose and into my mouth. I sneezed, which didn't make my situation any better. _I must be almost there..._

The dirt in my mouth was unbearable. The awful grainy texture was a cruel parody of the sugar I craved every second of the day. The sugar I hadn't had in so long...

They would only give me sweet things when I was good. Those white, clean, know-it-all bitches acting like they were saints. Treating me like a child or not at all. The ones who were too scared to go near me were the most fun. Like that one bitch, the one with the tight grey hair. If I could only...

My hand burst upward and instead of more soil felt cool air. I brought it down against the ground and used it to pull the rest of me up. I exploded through the ground like a zombie. I quickly shook my black hair of dirt and lurched forward. There was some woodland nearby that I had to head to. I stumbled slightly, the lack of food finally catching up with me. Those smiley 'hurt-me-not' nurses were too stupid to realize I threw my medication under the bed when they weren't looking. They were too stupid or just didn't care. But not that doctor, 'Wise'. (I would have thought he had made that name up if I couldn't see it was really his). No, he realized what I was doing and so started to put the pills in my food. He did it to 'help' me the lying bastard.

If he was so smart why did he think I needed help? I wasn't insane, not like the other inmates of that sterile white-walled place that was worse than a prison.

I finally made it into the woodland and kept moving at a half-run for as far as I could. Within minutes I had to stop and sit. I crouched down, my knees coming up to my chest. I was still too close to the insane asylum but the crawling had tired me out. My tunnel wasn't long enough it seems. _I was sure I had calculated the length correctly... _the lack of food and withdrawal symptoms from no sugar must have tired my mind down.

There was still dirt in my nose and I blew out sharply. Bits of mud flew out and I giggled. The laugh sounded scratchy from the dirt grains still clogging my throat. To cheer myself up I hummed some of the tune from the 'Great Escape' but then remembered what happened to most of the escapees. I knew all too well that it was hard to kill someone when it wasn't their time but no matter how hard I tried I have never been able to see my time of death. I reached above my head expecting to touch the swirling numbers and letters I knew were there, but I only felt air. This sort of behaviour was why those morons thought I was insane. I could see their names and life expectancy above their head but they wouldn't believe me. I don't see how they thought I could lie, they had me drugged up when they first asked me about it. They said it was 'necessary to see what the patient,' that was me, 'believes is happening. That way we can help him'. Bullshit, they were just nosey buggers. I sighed.

Looking up at the canopy above me I was filled with a melancholy longing. _When was the last time I had seen green? _I had been wrongly locked up in that hell hole for far too long, the only colour there was a suffocating whiteness. White lab coats, white walls, white floor, white bed sheets only stained red when I managed to unscrew a nail from my bed and out of pure boredom began to carve into myself. The nurse that found me screamed, for goodness sake! What did they expect me to do for fun? I was so bored I could eat myself (1). They'd given me a metal bed after that. The screws were in too tight for me to have some more fun, maybe with that grey haired bitch or with 'Wise'...

I glared down at the white t-shirt and white trousers they had given me now smeared with dirt and a small trail of blood. I examined my finger nails and found they were bleeding; I must have wiped them on my trousers a little while ago. There was also a rip along the knee of my left trouser leg, the pale white skin underneath was bleeding. Another gurgle that was meant to be a laugh escaped my abused throat. It made me so happy to see these awful, disgusting, boring clothes ripped, the ones that I would quickly replace with faded blue jeans and another styled white shirt. You see what I've been through now, don't you? You see how awful it must have been for me, locked up in a loony bin for no reason? It was so awful I had to escape.

A cool breeze whispered it's congratulations across my face. A grin stretched its way across my pale mouth, the light flush having gradually worn away.

I opened my red shinigami eyes once more to survey the land, no walls or fences separating me from wherever I wanted to go.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha uhk!!" The laugh ended in a light squeak. "That doesn't sound right...how about... kya ha ha ha ha ha!?" It was always so difficult to find a laugh which suited the situation.

"Mwah ha ha ha ha? No too novel Villain." When I was growing up I had always watched people. It was very fun, watching them laugh, watching them cry, watching them live and then finally watching them die. Seeing them make a myriad of useless emotions and then copying them for fun. People-watching was great when you were doing the watching. But at the asylum _they _were the ones watching you.

"Let's try...kyak kak kak kak kak kak! Who laughs like that...I mean really?" I put my bloodied thumb into my mouth, ignoring the split lip I had acquired at some point.

"Ho ho ho...too jolly...." I shouldn't think about the asylum anymore. I'm free now...I can do what I want, go where I want, watch who I want. I can finally meet up with L again... My breathing was back to normal so I stood up, my back hunched. My bare feet scuffed some fallen leaves.

"I can finally say hello to Little L," my eyes squeezed shut and my mouth turned up into a half-moon smile. "Henh, henh, henh, henh!!"

***

Raito's POV

_Why hasn't he called me yet? _I thought as I paced around my room like a mad lion. _Don't they want me there? _

It had been hours since 'Kira's' latest announcement but no one from the taskforce had come to get me. Even during the period between the first broadcast and the one a few hours ago I had only received silence. I like to think that I am a rational and patient person but I do hate being ignored just as much as the next man. _Aren't I part of the taskforce as well?_

"Maybe I should just go over there..." I mused. I combed my hair for the twenty third time, just to keep my hands busy. The me in the floor length mirror on my wardrobe had lost its worried, fearful look and had been replaced by my new apoplectically angry look. _Yes I'll just go over there myself. I have every right to know what they're talking about. I'm not some child! I can handle this and if they think I can't then they're wrong._

_..._

_But wouldn't Ryuzaki have called me if he wanted me there? What if he suspects me of being responsible for this new development? I wasn't at the headquarters either of the times but surely he wouldn't think... Would Ryuzaki's suspicions of me rise if I went over there now? Would he think I was going over there to reap my rewards? To try and catch L frightened?_

_No, that's ridiculous. _I glared at myself before resuming my pacing. Deciding that more pacing would only accomplish creating an oval dent in the floor I sat at my desk and turned on my laptop. _I shouldn't worry about being a Kira suspect. My plan is taking longer than I had anticipated...and __**I **__know I'm not Kira. The only thing that will make Ryuzaki change his mind is time. I've been impatient in the past but now I will be able to act with all the composure needed._

I sighed. My laptop blinked into life and I loaded my most recent assignment, resigning myself to a long wait. I glanced out the French doors which led onto the balcony. Outside the sky had turned a stormy grey but it hadn't started raining with full force just yet. The light rain pattered against the window. I opened the French door slightly: I loved the smell of rain. It was an altogether delightfully clean smell...

I scrolled through the word document. Most of it had been done; I had been using the period of silence productively. Even though I was on the taskforce I couldn't let my grades be anything but perfect.

I began to type the conclusion of my law essay. _This is shown in case... God this is boring...Maybe I could play Mario Cart for half an hour..._

_No! I have to finish this! If Ryuzaki doesn't want me at the meeting I am going to do something productive. I'm not going to go around doing meaningless tasks and playing silly games while I wait for him to call me. _

"Nii-san!!" Sayu screamed from downstairs. I leapt out of my office chair and crossed the short distance to the door in spite of my previous thoughts.

"Yes?" I called down the stairs through the now open doorway.

"Nii-san? You remember how much you love me?" _Oh dear, _I thought.

"I can briefly recall that, yes," I called down.

"Wait? What did you say?" She screamed back up at me.

"What do you want Sayu?" I said, my voice rising slightly. My sister said something I couldn't quite hear. "You need what?" She repeated her request in an equally quite tone. "I can't hear you? What did you say, Sayu?"

"Come down here Raito instead of shouting through the house!?" My mother huffily screamed from the kitchen.

"I wasn't 'screaming'" I said as I realized it would have been much easier to have gone down to Sayu rather than trying to talk to her from my bedroom. I made my way down the stairs and into the living room where my sister was inevitably watching a music program. "What did you want, Sayu?" I asked again, my voice normal.

"Can you get me some more crisps..." she said her eyes never leaving the screen. _What??? _

"Get some yourself," I replied storming, _no! Calmly but speedily walking, _back towards the stair case.

"But nii-san! You're already stood up!" She whined but I was too far away to be bothered with her anymore. My bedroom door closed with a snap.

When I was seated back in my office chair I realized with not a little annoyance that I had wasted four minutes. _Ok, Raito. Let's get back on track. This is shown in case..._

"Dammit!" I growled to the ceiling. I couldn't stop thinking of Ryuzaki! _Why hasn't anyone called me yet? Maybe Ryuzaki doesn't want me to see him scared..._

"Oh, that's just stupid," I stood up and moved to the window and lent my head against it, hoping that the cold would help. _L would never show that he was scared, no matter how he really felt. But what if he really is scared? Would any of the others realize?_

"They'd probably not care anyway. Matsuda would say something that would insult Ryuzaki and Tou-san would just make him suck it up. Ryuzaki wouldn't let Watari take care of him around the others and certainly not when there's so much to do...God, I should go over there," I concluded.

I realized I was acting like a love sick teenage girl over Ryuzaki but I couldn't help it. He'd practically received a death sentence so why shouldn't I be worried? At least if I'm there I could help with the work load, give him some room to breathe. I closed the French door and moved over to my wardrobe to take out my jacket. As I put it on I rechecked my hair in the mirror. My phone rang as I was shutting down my laptop.

I picked it up from the desk and answered it hopefully.

"Hello?"

"Hi Raito it's me," my father said"I was just calling because Ryuzaki wants you over here as soon as possible. I know you might be busy with school work and I'll tell Ryuzaki for you if you-

"No it's ok. I'm on my way out." I flipped my phone closed and shoved it into the coat pocket. _Uh, I really hate him sometimes. Why did he think school work was more important than the Kira case? I'm not twelve..._

I ran down the stairs taking two at a time.

"Going somewhere Raito?" My mum asked as I rushed towards her.

"Yeah, I'm going round to a friend's for a little while. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone," I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"What about dinner?"

"I'll get something around there, ok?"

"Nii-san! Get me some crisps!" Sayu's voice called from the living room where she hadn't moved a muscle. _Even the dead move more than her..._ As I was in a good mood (_Ryuzaki wanted me to help!_) I grabbed a bag and I threw it at my sister's slowly decomposing body.

I tripped slightly on the rug but it was ok because nobody saw. I was so happy to be on the move and having something _interesting _and _useful _to do I put my shoes on in half the time it usually takes and I was halfway out the door when my mum called from behind me.

She was twisting the apron she always seemed to have on in her hands.

"Raito-kun you'll be careful out there won't you?"

"Course I will," I replied, my left leg still dangling out the door. "Is there anything I can help with before I go, Ka-chan?" She gave me a sad smile.

"No. Have fun at your friends house," I made a general noise of agreement. "I love you, musuko."

"Yeah. Bye," I said before closing the door behind me.

The sky was still drizzling but it was a cooling rain. I took a deep breath before walking towards the main street. One thought kept on buzzing through my mind making me feel like I had taken LSD. _Ryuzaki requested I be there. _That does seem like I am over doing things but when you think about how L is and how he behaves it really is a big thing. Ryuzaki always tries to do things on his own, if someone who was meant to be there wasn't he would be generally annoyed at most, but I was volunteering and unlike the others I had other things to do. I had to go to University, get a part time job, find my own apartment and L understood and valued these things. But to have him _want _me there shows that, even though I have scared him, he still wants to see me, to be around me.

With this is my mind I hailed a taxi to take me to the designated hotel room.

***

The video finished and I was left rooted to my seat. _This is bad, this is bad, this is bad! _Those three words kept on whirling through my mind. _How am I supposed to protect Ryuzaki from one madman let alone two?_

"So what do you think Raito-kun? Have you figured anything out?" Snapped out of my mental panic attack I took in L. He looked just the same as ever. He didn't look at all scared but that wasn't a surprise. When I had entered the hotel room I had suspected him to be angry, flinch or at least look away but he had looked...happy. His eyes lit up with genuine pleasure when I walked in. He wasn't treating me any different; if anything he was standing closer to my chair than he would have before. _What does this guy want? _I decided to concentrate on his question more than his behaviour for now.

"This isn't the same Kira as we have seen before. Up till now he has had to have a name and a face but it seems _this _Kira only needs a face. The victims are nothing alike either." I watched with an odd mix of pleasure and trepidation as Ryuzaki's smile got wider and wider. _Have I made him happy in some way? Or did I just make myself out to be Kira? No he wouldn't smile like that if it was the latter._

"That is correct Raito-kun. I also believe that this is the work of a second Kira."

"So you already knew," I tried to sound angry but I couldn't help smile at this. _Of course L would already suspect that._

"Yes Raito-kun. I just thought it would fortify my idea if you came to the same conclusion as well. Now I believe the best course of action would be to send a message back to the Second Kira. We need to stop him and as he does not seem very bright we could easily make him believe we are the real Kira."

"Makes sense," I said giving him my largest smile. The other men in the room seemed to fade into nothingness.

"Yes it does. Raito-kun I want you to play the role as Kira. I believe with your...talents it would be easy for you to get into his shoes."

"Ryuzaki what are you trying to say?" My father interrupted. _Why does he always belittle Ryuzaki's authority whenever I come into play? _I knew very well what Ryuzaki was implying but it would only be worse if I made a big deal out of it. I tried not to feel hurt, after all it was what I would do if I were him, but I still felt upset by it. _Weren't we getting along so well?_

"It's fine Tou-san, I'll get right to it." L began to issue orders to the rest in preparation for making the video and I began to write the message on some paper provided by a slightly morose Matsuda.

After twenty minutes I announced that it was finished. Ryuzaki hopped out of his chair where he had been happily consuming Japan's entire sweets stock.

"I hope it's ok. I just thought what it would be like to be Kira and..." I trailed off as I realized I was babbling. A tense moment passed as Ryuzaki read the message through, holding the paper in his usual fashion.

"This is very good Raito-kun. But I'm afraid we'll have to take out the "it's fine to kill L" part," he emerged from behind the paper, "or I'll die." His oh-so-serious expression was too cute.

"I know. As I said I was just thinking what Kira would say. Please, edit it as you see fit."

"I will." He scribbled out the last part with a pen I had offered him, changed the sentence structure to make sense (Kira has to have impeccable grammar after all) and then passed it to Mogi. "Here's the finished script."

***

_Two days later..._

The message from the 'real' Kira had been aired days ago but nothing had happened. We had gotten no response. _Dammit, this is so tedious. Knowing we can't make our next move till he replies..._

We were all collected in another hotel room of L's choice. It was similarly furnished, _L seems to have a liking for striped furniture..._I thought as I eyed the ugly sofa my father was sitting on.

"Ryuzaki! We have received a reply from the Second Kira!" Watari's computerized voice emitted from L's laptop. We all arranged ourselves around it with L sitting in the middle. From where I stood I had a great view of Aizawa's back so I moved behind L where I could see the screen. "I'm sending it to you now."

Matsuda started to say something but was shushed.

"**Kira thank you for responding. I will do as you say."**

"Yes!" Matsuda did an odd miniature victory dance. I wanted to remind him that he did nothing to help in the making of the video but I didn't think this would be very kind.

"**I really want to meet you Kira! I don't think you have the eyes but don't worry, I won't kill you."**

"What?" It wasn't until later that I realized I had said it. Ryuzaki turned to look at me but I didn't care. _What does he mean by the 'eyes'?_ The tape didn't seem to feel like explaining and instead carried on.

"**Please think of a way we can meet without us being caught. We can confirm each other when we meet by showing our shinigami." **

"Shinigami? This is ridiculous. There's no such a thi-" I was cut off by a large crash. L had managed to over balance his chair and had fallen on the floor. Matsuda was swifter than I was, and managed to move out the way. Ryuzaki's horrible striped chair had fallen on to my foot but I didn't feel the pain. I crouched down by my tense love interest.

It had gotten darker since the start of the video and the artificial light shone on his black hair as he righted himself.

"Shinigami?" He whispered.

"Ryuzaki? Ryuzaki tell me what's wrong?" I knew I was showing too much concern than I should have but I couldn't have cared less. L was shaking slightly. _He didn't bat an eyelid when he was threatened with death but the mere mention of shinigami and he's falling out of his chair in shock?_

"Shinigami...? Am I supposed to accept the existence of such a thing?" He whispered his eyes were much wider than usual if that were possible.

"That's impossible Ryuzaki. There isn't such a thing as shinigami," I reassured him. Without thinking I grabbed his arm in an attempt to pull him up. After I realized what I'd done I jerked my hand away but instead of flinching L just stared at me. It was a completely hollow stare. I knew I was being analysed.

"Yes. You're right Raito-kun. I was over reacting," he concluded in the same whisper as before. My father righted his chair for him.

"So what are we going to do now," Matsuda asked.

"Well we could-" I started but was cut off by a certain dark haired detective.

"We'll leave everything up to Kira now." Ryuzaki said.

"Leave it to Kira? What do you mean?" Aizawa said. I wanted to tell them to shut up and think for themselves but not with my father watching.

"The Second Kira has succeeded in at least one of his goals: to capture Kira's attention. I believe that if we wait the real Kira will write a response. Or if he doesn't the Second Kira might try again and give us some more clues. This is going to be very interesting."

The other taskforce members seemed to disperse with this explanation. My father moved over to look pensively out the window and Matsuda tried to copy him in an effort to seem manly. Aizawa said he was going outside to tell his wife that she should start dinner without him again.

I on the other hand could not feel as excited as L. My hand scrunched into a fist at my side.

"So we have to wait? Is that all we can do?" I earnestly looked at L, hoping he had forgotten to tell us about a plan B or absolutely anything else we could do with our time. "We just have to sit here while Kira carries on killing people?"

L uncurled himself and stood up as straight as his hunch would allow him in front of me. I expected him to be angry and to list all the things wrong with my way of thinking but instead he gave me his innocent smile.

"Raito-kun what do you want to be when you grow up?" The question caught me unawares and I found myself answering truthfully.

"I guess I want to be a detective," I let a playful smirk grace my mouth, "I want to be the greatest detective in the world." Ryuzaki's answering smile was brilliant. It was gorgeous and magnificent. _He really does look beautiful when he smiles, my sexy smiling seraphim. (2)_

"Thanks for the heads up on the competition Raito-kun," Ryuzaki's smile slipped slightly (3) "You have the greatest prospects for being a great detective, Raito-kun." _Oh, so a 'great' detective not the 'greatest'? _I thought, enjoying this new playful L. "You are intelligent, you seem to know how people work very well and you can keep a logical head when you try. But there are still things you need to learn. For example at times, especially during tricky cases such as this one, you need to know when to go in guns blazing and when to lie back and watch things unfold. I do not like it anymore than you do but that is the way things are right now. So you should make the best of it." He finished with an amicable but mass produced smile. I sorely missed his real smile.

"I understand Ryuzaki," I bowed slightly to show how much respect I felt for them man. I would always bow to teachers or my father's colleagues when they came for dinner but always begrudgingly. After all they rarely deserved such respect. However, if there was ever a man who lived who deserved such admiration it was this intelligent, fragile, world weary man standing in front of me.

"Raito-kun is there any need for such formality?" L said, placing a long finger under my chin and lifting my head up. "You are such a proud person Raito-kun and rightfully so. I would hate for you to be so submissive."

_HUH????_

I could only stare as playful L resurfaced. Shamefully I felt heat rush to my face and I had to look around. Aizawa hadn't come back yet and Matsuda and my father were talking with each other at the other end of the room.

"Going to University with you Raito-kun was fun. I would like to do so again. Perhaps we could go back to that cafe. They had a wide range of sweets that I would like to try."

"Yeah," a real smile nervously made its entrance. "Do you like tennis?" Everything seemed to screech to a halt. _How stupid can I be? We were having a great moment and what did I say? I could have said something charming but no I asked him if he liked tennis!!_

"Yes I do. I was once the British Junior Champion. And I have heard on the grape vine that you were the Junior High Champion." L's unexpected praise made me feel giddy again. _What's happening to me? _I thought I had managed to escape the usual awkwardness of puberty but it seemed to be catching up with me.

"That was a long time ago..."

"None sense Raito-kun! You never forget how to play things like tennis. I would very much like to play a match with you some time."

"Yeah. I would like that too." I put my sweaty hands in my pockets in a failing attempt to look cool. L had that genuine smile again. It was odd, in the last hour so many bad things had happened and yet I had also seen L smile more times than I had in the past few months.

"Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki waved a hand in front of my face to catch my attention.

"Sorry?" The beautiful man in front of me gave me an encouraging smile.

"1%" He said and as he walked past he gently grasped my arm where I had grasped his not long ago. I could feel his warmth through my shirt but all too soon it was gone. L walked back to where my father was standing, his hands in his pockets and was it just me or was he standing straighter? Aizawa had returned and joined the small gathering.

Ryuzaki seemed to sense I wasn't following him and turned to look back at where I was rooted to the spot.

"Is something wrong Raito-kun?" I numbly shook my head. "That's good. I'm afraid that it is time to return to reality." Ryuzaki said his happy face dissolving into his usual mask.

I nodded and walked back with him, our arms not quite touching. I was sad that that conversation had ended but I was also happy, too happy, that I knew that Ryuzaki was human and did like my company. I wasn't foolish enough to believe he had fallen in love with me, not yet, but I now knew that the makings of it were clearly beginning

Stage 3a) Repair the damage I had caused L: complete.

* * *

(1) I've heard that from somewhere before and I'm not sure where from. If you know please tell me!...I know I shouldn't have used it since it wasn't mine but I love that line!! I accept no credit for it.

(2)Mmmmm

(3) So many silly 's's


	10. Lorien

Yay!! I've updated! I'd meant to update yesterday but I sort of didn't so here it is today! I hope you like it!

WARNING: This chapter contains Matsuda bashing! I don't think there is anymore than in previous chapters but I don't want to offend any Matsuda lovers. I love Matsuda just as much as the next fangirl but I think Raito-kun should feel some contempt for him. After all Raito-kun is a very intelligent, grown up man (he thinks) and has been raised to certain social standards. To him Matsuda is sort of like the simple kid everyone liked but wouldn't voluntarily go outside with.

ANOTHER WARNING: I have had to use some of the dialogue from the manga (hide). I know I shouldn't use so much but I want to show that the plot is still basically the same. Of course, I have changed some words and missed bits because, no matter how brilliantly written it is, it is still pretty boring just copying from a book.

* * *

Raito's POV

"Welcome to the evening news, I am your anchorman Kimura Takeshi. A breaking news report is just in. A convict who had been admitted to a mental health facility in Nagoya has broken out of his cell. Here is a representative, Wood Lorien, from the facility."

"Thank you," a beautiful woman nodded at the anchorman. She had shoulder length black hair, dark blue eyes and she was clearly a foreigner. "My name is Wood Lorien, I am a psychiatric Nurse working at this mental health facility.(1) I cannot divulge it's name due to legal reasons. The escaped inmate is called Beyond Birthday and he is roughly 20 years old. He has spiky black hair that falls to his shoulders, large black eyes and very pale skin. His nose is relitavely large but other than that he has no other distinctive facial features. He has a lanky build. If anyone were to recognise him it would be because of his behaviour. He does not conform to social standards, for example he is not averse to crawling on the floor. He has a child-like love of sweets and will probably have a large amount on his person."

L had dropped his sugar sludge. Watari promptly came into clean up the broken cup.

"Ryuzaki, are you ok?" I moved over to L and gently shook his shoulder. His eyes were larger than usual and I was reminded of the incident with the 'shinigami'. _Is he going to fall over again?_

"I am fine Raito-kun." He replied before turning back to the TV set.

"Not much of a looker then?" The anchorman replied, a cheeky grin plastered to his face.

"I do not see what that has to do with anything Kimura-san," the woman replied, wiping off Kimura's smile. She didn't look like she was used to being so stern, she didn't have the face for it, but it was clear that this was not a laughing matter.

"Beyond Birthday can be dangerous when provoked. If you leave him alone he will not harm you. If you see him please call the hotline below but do not approach him," a number sailed across the screen. "Your cooperation will be much appreciated in this matter."

"Wood-san, would it be ok for you to answer some questions?" He gulped.

"It depends which questions they are," Wood-san gave him a stunning smile which seemed to relax him.

"Well, one of the questions is: Was it the lack of caution from the Nurses responsible for this break out?"

"Yes, it was. My superiors have investigated this incident and it had been found that Beyond had been neglected by the Nurse in charge of him many times."

"Could you give us an example of the neglect?"

"Not making sure he took his medication. There have been incidents of self harm which were allowed to occur under this Nurse's observation. She has been sacked pending questioning."

"I see, thank you very much," the anchorman shuffled some papers on his desk, "Are any measures being made to ensure no more breakouts happen?"

"Yes, we are employing more security and we are going to introduce an apprentice-like experience for each of the medical staff. At the moment they go through all the usual checks but then they're just let loose on the patients. With this new way they need to go through a period of time with senior Nurses and Doctors to make sure they realise what their job entails."

"Oh! Thank you but I believe that is all we have time for. Thank you very much for answering our questions Wood-san," he nodded at her before turning back to the screen.

"Please if anyone has any information on Beyond Birthday call the number on your screen now."

"Please turn it off," L said. He was hugging his legs so tightly his knuckles had turned white. Aizawa switched off the TV set.

"Ryuzaki anyone can see that something is wrong!" I crouched next to his chair so that he was looking at me.

"It is very trivial Raito-kun. I am only worrying about that convict, Beyond Birthday. There is a high chance that he will be killed by Kira." Ryuzaki and I seemed to have swapped roles as I found myself staring into his eyes, trying to decipher what he was really thinking.

"Ok, Ryuzaki. But we can't do much until the Second Kira replies," I reassured my friend just as Watari walked in.

"What excellent timing you have Yagami-kun," Watari said. He smiled encouragingly as I squeezed Ryuzaki's shoulder before standing back you.

"What do you have Watari?" L craned his neck to look at his guardian. At his question the taskforce perked up from their various states of boredom.

"Has something happened?" My father asked.

"Sakura TV was sent this message an hour ago. Mogi just handed it to me. Here is the paper and the packaging." Watari laid the envelope on the coffee table in front of L. "He made sure no copies were made."

L read the message in silence before handing it to my father.

"It looks like a diary extract..." my father mumbled.

"The Second Kira wants us to show this diary on TV?" I leaned closer to the sheet of paper my father was holding. The diary was from May of last year and contained entries that sounded normal for a teenage girl. I had no base for the assumption that the owner was female except that it sounded like something Sayu would write: '5th It was the last day of vacation but I just sat around being lazy'.

"Look at the entry for the 30th," My father replied. Ryuzaki was sitting in a plush chair-happily not a striped one- looking particularly uninterested in recent events. _Why isn't he more excited? Isn't this the response we were hoping for?_

"30th We confirmed our Shinigami at the Giants game at the Tokyo Dome..."

"What do you think Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki got up from his chair for the first time in hours and stood close to me. I was strongly reminded of my encounter with Playful L a few days ago as my love interest leaned closer to me. My face warmed and I concentrated on my father standing a few feet away.

"Huh? Oh, well all I can say for now is that this person is very stupid."

"Yeah! We can't broadcast this, it's obviously a message to Kira." I thought Matsuda's attempt at being smart was cute. "It's clear that he plans on meeting Kira at the Giants game."

"Can this person not really realise that the game will be cancelled if we broadcast this?" my father asked the room at large.

"It'd be total panic!" Matsuda said.

"...Frankly it does seem idiotic," L grabbed a tray of chocolates as he ensconced himself in his arm chair once again. "But that's what makes it difficult to react to. For now we have to do the obvious things. We'll broadcast this diary and announce that the game will be cancelled. We'll also say that we're closing off all the roads around the Tokyo Dome and that we're setting up an investigation. With the police support we have gained since the Sakura TV incident that should be plausible." L stopped to sip his new sugar paste which Watari had set in front of him. "Then we'll create a response from the 'real' Kira saying something like 'understood, let's meet'".

"Will the real Kira really come to the Dome with all the police around?" My father sat down next to L.

"I don't think Kira will come and I'm not sure about the Second Kira. We don't know how stupid he is."

"Ryuzaki?" I butted in.

"Yes, Raito-kun," his black eyes swivelled to my face.

"This may be me reading too far into this but," I moved closer so I could speak directly to Ryuzaki instead of through the task force. "I don't believe that the Second Kira is so stupid. I feel like the entry for the 30th may be a way to distract us."

"I agree Raito-kun," Ryuzaki lifted the diary page in front of his eyes, holding it between his index finger and his thumb, "There may be a code in this diary that only the Kiras would understand, like the 'shinigami'. Just to be safe we should check out all the places marked out in this diary: '22nd my friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama'. '24th I met a friend in Shibuya. We bought some clothes to wear this summer.' We may be wasting our time but we should focus on anyone with notebooks in Aoyama on the 22nd and people loitering in clothes stores in Shibuya on the 24th. We'll set up cameras beforehand. We'll have already announced we will be conducting an investigation so it won't seem odd if we ask people questions but to be safe we should have a few officers in disguise in these locations."

"But...won't that be dangerous?" Matsuda asked.

"As members of the taskforce we agreed that we would risk our lives to capture Kira, Matsuda," my father reprimanded the younger man.

"I do not believe that the Second Kira will kill anymore civilians at the moment so you should be safe. We will need people who will not be recognised as policemen so, for example, Yagami-san is out of the question," L explained, a small smile played across his lips.

Matsuda laughed.

"So the best person would be Matsuda," my father replied which shut him up.

"I'll go too," I said. Everyone in the room stilled at my suggestion except for L who turned to examine me. I knew he was trying to see any deceit in my face and I also knew he wouldn't find any. If I helped capture the Second Kira in any of these places it could possibly help eliminate some of Ryuzaki's suspicions. It would also be good for the world as well but...still. "I sometimes go to Aoyama and Shibuya so I wouldn't look out of place." _And I doubt Matsuda would be much use on his own..._

L was still watching my face. The black haired detective was thinking furiously even though he didn't show it. _Why offer? It's an obvious decision: Raito-kun would seem the least suspicious hanging out with Matsuda-san but why not wait till it was ordered? Is Raito-kun Kira and is he just eager to meet the Second Kira? Wouldn't that put him in danger considering the Second Kira only needs a face to kill? As the first Kira he would want to meet the Second Kira before we do and Matsuda wouldn't really be capable of stopping this meeting from taking place. Matsuda is Matsuda, after all. Or Raito-kun could have offered because he didn't want to be left out like after the Sakura TV incident. Perhaps he just wants to help the investigation. _

L's eyes moved away from mine causing me to blink. For the past few seconds it seems we were in a trance-like state that none of the taskforce members had wanted to brake.

"We will broadcast this diary tomorrow. Yagami-san can you get the cooperation of the police before tomorrow night's news?" Ryuzaki asked.

"I'll do my best."

"Everyone I realise I should not have to say this but I will anyway. This will be a chance to catch Kira or at least the Second Kira. To protect ourselves I want all of you to destroy any photos of yourself in the police records. And Raito-kun I want you to do the same in the University records. If you have a problem Watari will do it for you."

"That won't be necessary. I'm very good at hacking, the photos will be gone by tomorrow."

"Wonderful," Ryuzaki replied. His voice indicated that he felt no delight in my response but with Ryuzaki it was always difficult to tell.

"Chief?"Aizawa spoke up for the first time. "Can I talk to you for second? Outside?"

"Of course Aizawa-san," my father replied moving to stand up.

"You may use the bedroom," Ryuzaki pointed to a door on the other side of the hotel room. Aizawa glared at me as he passed. Matsuda, deciding that he wanted to play at being grown up and considering Aizawa didn't say he couldn't, followed them out of the living room.

"They don't trust me," I said more to myself than anyone.

"I can't say I blame them Raito-kun," I focused on the infuriating man who was currently munching on twelve giant chocolate pocky.

"What is that supposed to mean Ryuzaki? What about the other day? You said the percentage was 1%!" I moved to stand in front of the thin man and placed my hands on his shoulders.

"I did Raito-kun and at the time _my _suspicion was at 1%. But your actions tonight have showed some Kira-like tendencies. I'm surprised I had to explain that to you, Raito-kun," Ryuzaki explained as if we were discussing the weather. I released him and plonked myself down on my father's vacated sofa.

"I only volunteered because I wanted to help and it made the most sense." I let my head fall into my hands. _God, this is getting tiring. _"I'm only trying to help for Christ sake! It's not like Aizawa is doing anything particularly helpful..."

"Raito-kun you're acting like a child. There is no need to complain about Aizawa's contribution to the investigation. He's been helping just as much as you have," Ryuzaki reprimanded me. The tired man changed seats so that he was sitting next to me.

"I know," I turned to look at him. "It's just annoying, that's all."

"I understand Raito-kun. I have lived through plenty of mistrust in the past and it is natural to feel frustrated. If you are not Kira all you'll have to do is wait till we catch the real Kira."

"Just wait?" As Ryuzaki opened his mouth again I added, "I remember what you told me before and I've followed your advice as best as I can. I just feel that I could help out more if people trusted me."

"Nothing that would affect your ability to help with the investigation has been hidden from you. Raito-kun, have you not considered how Aizawa-san feels? He was very good friends with Ukita-san and he doesn't want to take any more chances. You have been hiding things that a normal teenager would not be able to do." Ryuzaki finished his box of pocky and looked into it with a forlorn look on his face.

"Such as?"

"Being a good hacker. Not many boys your age would be able to hack into the university archives. That would be a good talent for Kira to have, don't you think? It would help him do all sort of things. Such as hacking into his father's files to find out information on the Kira case," Ryuzaki's thumb made it's way between his bloodless lips. _God he's so annoying!_ I thought.

"I suppose it would be good if Kira could do that. Luckily for the investigation I'm not Kira." I struggled to squash my anger down but I could feel it rising. I thought of all the things I loved about Ryuzaki that would defuse the bomb in me but came up blank. My hands scrunched into a fist on my knees and I ached to punch his perfect, emotionless face. However, it seemed that the window of opportunity for a fight had passed because L was staring out of the window in a contemplative manor. It would seem a little unfair if I punched him when he wasn't even paying attention.

His thumb gently brushed across his lower lip and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards but something in his smile looked...off. He looked very sad.

"Ryuzaki?...Is something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh I was just thinking...Have you ever heard the saying 'people who can fight over hypothetical things would be a good couple', Raito-kun?"

I felt heat once again rise to my face. "No, I haven't heard that before." _What does that mean? Is he saying that he wants to be my boyfriend? _To change the subject I thought it would be best to tell Ryuzaki of my previous suspicions.

"Ryuzaki?"

"Hmm?"

"I was just thinking earlier that the Second Kira may be female." Ryuzaki turned to look at me. He was lightly biting his thumb.

"Why do you say that, Raito-kun?"

"Because the extracts in the diary sound like something a girl would write. For example '24th I met a friend in Shibuya. We bought some clothes to wear this summer.'"

"Raito-kun is stereotyping," Ryuzaki's wide smile showed me that I wasn't in trouble for 'stereotyping' even though it was true. _As far as I know all girls enjoy shopping. If Ryuzaki could find me a girl who doesn't then I would apologise to her. _

"What aren't you telling me?"

"When your father confiscated the Kira tapes the finger prints on them were too small to be anything except a child's or a small woman's. You may be correct Raito-kun," Ryuzaki took another sip of his neglected sugar paste.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I growled.

"I just did, Raito-kun." I decided Ryuzaki was just going to be difficult for the sake of it. But despite my best efforts of taking the moral high ground and not punching him now that he was paying attention I was still pretty pissed off. _Why must they hide things from me? It seems my father and Matsuda don't want to and it looks like L isn't going to hide things that would "affect my ability to help with the investigation" and he will tell me details of what he has hidden from me if I specifically ask for them. So was it Aizawa? Does he not want me here at all? This is so unfair! I'm risking my life just like them! _

Ryuzaki was staring unblinkingly out the window again when Aizawa, Matsuda and my father walked back in. Aizawa wouldn't look me in the eye and my father looked furious. _Yeah, they've been fighting over me. _Ryuzaki, who had quitted gazing out the window and was now divulging a chocolate bar of it's wrapper, didn't seem interested in talking anymore and my presence was making the atmosphere tense so I decided it was time to pack up for the day.

"I think it's time I went home," I stretched my arms above my head.

"Yes, I believe that is for the best," my father said, placing a protective hand on my shoulder. "I'll see you at home musuko."

"I'll talk to you about going to Aoyama and Shibuya tomorrow, ok Matsuda?" I smiled encouragingly at the embarrassed man.

"Ok, Raito-kun." He said, looking at his feet. _Raito-kun is such a nice kid. He couldn't possibly be Kira, could he? Aizawa seems to think so and Ryuzaki does as well but...he just doesn't act like a mass murderer! Oh, this is so confusing..._Matsuda thought.

"It was nice talking to you Ryuzaki," I added as I walked over to the door.

"Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki called to me just before I left.

"Yes, Ryuzaki?"

"2%."

I closed the door with more force than I had meant to use and stormed out of the lobby. Outside, the sky was darkening slightly but I knew there were still a few hours of daylight left.

I waited outside for a taxi to drive by and as I did I caught sight of the window to the hotel room that was serving as the investigation headquarters. The curtains were open but from my angle I couldn't see in. However, I knew that now I had left they would be talking again, probably about me.

_I hate this! It's not fair! I'm not Kira so why do I have to go through with this. _Before, I could forgive Ryuzaki because I knew I was the only logical suspect but now Ryuzaki has gone too far. _Wasn't he flirting with me a few days ago? And what about today? We were talking amicably enough and yet my percentage has gone up? Why can't Ryuzaki make up his mind? _I felt a horrible pricking sensation behind my eyes and I knew what was coming. _No way! I am not going to cry! _

"God Dammit Ryuzaki." I muttered

I hailed a taxi that was making its way down the road. I managed to compose myself enough before I climbed in and told the driver my address.

***

Beyond's POV

_The next evening..._

"Hello and welcome to the evening news. Today we will be giving a special announcement from the police. It seems that the Kira that used Sakura TV not long ago has replied to the broadcast made by the 'real' Kira. The police have assured us that it is completely safe, for the viewers, for us to air this message but for our personal safety we cannot appear on screen."

The light from the TV screen partially illuminated the otherwise dark room. The house had been temporarily abandoned-the owners were on holiday-which made it a perfect place to hide out for a while. The house contained no pets and all the appliances, except for the fridge, had been unplugged so there was no need for duty-bound neighbours to come knocking. If any inquisitive neighbours came it wouldn't be so bad. I made sure I had all the necessary things at hand. The kitchen can hold some dangerous things when in the wrong hands.

The TV screen showed a picture of a diary entry from May of last year. A woman read out the entries.

"1st I said I wouldn't be participating in club activities during Golden Week but my friend called and invited me anyway.

4th I went to the Saitama Super Arena with a friend to see the Morning Musume concert.

5th It was the last day of vacation but I just sat around the house being lazy.

7th School has started but I just borrowed my friend's notes and skipped class.

10th My friend invited me to go drinking but I declined. Yokohama is too far.

13th The friend I promised to lend a CD to came over so I gave it to her.

16th I forgot to do my report so I copied off my friend.

19th I bought Jump for the first time in a while. The short story was really good.

22nd My friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama.

23rd I ran into HIM in the cafeteria. He was eating pork curry rice.

24th I met my friend in Shibuya. We bought some clothes to wear this summer.

28th I heard they're coming out with something better than the PS2 called the PSX. WOW!

30th We confirmed our Shinigami at the Giants game at the Tokyo Dome."

"Thank you very much," a reporter's voice said to the woman. "The police have also announced that the Giants game has been cancelled and people who have already bought their tickets will be refunded by the Tokyo Dome. I have been told to reassure viewers that despite the...peculiarity of this message it is genuine and has _not _been fabricated to boost ratings."

I turned off the television and waited for my eyes to get used to the dark. As it was the evening I couldn't risk turning on the lights in case people got curious. It would be fun to experiment with people again but it would make my goal much harder to achieve. I don't have the obscurity necessary to get away with that sort of fun. Shame...I'm afraid I'm getting rusty.

A gurgle escaped my throat as I sat on the ugly, white leather sofa in front of the TV, a carving knife sat on the coffee table in front of me.

"What are you going to do Little L?" I whispered.

_It seems the plot is heating up. First there was just one Kira and L was struggling and now there's two? And according to the message it seems they're going to meet up soon. _

_But the police...how stupid can they be? Is L really ordering them about? Why would they cancel the Giants game? _While listening to the broadcast two entries jumped out at me: the 22nd and the 30th. _This 'second Kira' is a complete idiot. He tried to cover up what he was doing but all he managed to do was make it more obvious. The 22__nd__ and the 30__th__ seemed too different from the humdrum-ordinary-life-style of the other entries._

_And if the person had any sense they wouldn't try to meet up with Kira on the __**most **__obvious one: the 30__th__. _

"Henh henh. Maybe L needs my help after all."

I jumped off the manky sofa and walked out the door, taking my knife with me. I walked down the corridor and opened the second door on the left. Inside was a study with filing cabinets filled with photo albums, information leaflets and diaries on the house owner's experiences there.

Oh yes, this typical nuclear family enjoyed travelling to all places far and wide, especially to places where the natives were usually too poor to have travelled much outside of their own town.

I rifled through one of the drawers till I found a leaflet on Aoyama.

* * *

Wooo! I'm glad that's done. I hoped you all liked it! Don't forget to review, I'd love to know what you thought.

(1) People who have read my story Frustration will know that she has been a PE teacher in the past and now a psychiatric nurse! What other talents does she possess? No I'm just joking...Lorien Wood is a character that is 100% mine and I plan on using her in many stories. For example she will be in my NaNoWriMo story (see below) and she will be in an upcoming fanfiction story I'm thinking (it's Raito/L it'll be awesome).

(2) I mean no harm to anyone with white leather sofas but Beyond Birthday just doesn't like them.

Because it is now half term I plan on updating at least three times this week but for all of November I won't update anything!! This is because I am taking part of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and so I won't have any time for fanfiction. Sigh.....

If anyone is interested in the NaNoWriMo there's a bit more information on my profile or you could just go to it's website!


	11. BB

Hello children!! I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner but I was taken by surprise by a social life and I didn't know what to do. So here's the next chapter. I just want to warn you that my beta decided to have a family and go on holiday with them so this will probably have a lot of mistakes in it. Don't hit me!!

NOTE: In previous chapters Shinigami just talked normally but from now on I'm going to have them talk in bold for various reasons.

* * *

Raito's POV

"Thank you, Nii-san!" Sayu said as she gathered her books from my desk. I felt myself fondly smiling at my younger sister. _Sayu will never change. There could be seven Kiras and she'll still be coming to me with her homework._

"It's ok Sayu. Just remember what I explained. You can remember, right?" I fixed her with a penetrating glare and felt very little satisfaction at her nervous smile.

"Kinda..." she scratched the back of head. _She really hasn't changed one bit. _

"Well, you have the notes we made and if you don't understand them just ask me. Or there's plenty of help online for when I'm not here," I wrapped my arm around her and gave her a rare half-hug. I'm not sure why I did it. Maybe the scare of a second Kira had made me realise how much danger my life was in, now that I was helping with the investigation. Maybe I was glad for her normalcy. Her annoying sieve-like brain could always bring an exasperated smile to my face.

"Uh...Nii-san? Is everything ok?" She eyed me suspiciously. "I'm not dying am I?"

"Heh, no. It just seems like I don't see much of you these days." I sat down in my office chair and switched on my laptop. Sayu collapsed onto my bed, literally. I could hear the springs groan as she suddenly landed on it.

"I wonder whose fault that is?" I felt a pang of guilt but ignored it. _I'm a university student now. Most boys my age have already left home. I shouldn't feel guilty about spending every minute of my free time in those hotels especially since I __**was **__doing something important and not just arsing around._

"Why _are _you out so much these days?" My sister sat up and sent her own penetrating look at me. If she practiced a bit more she could have been intimidating.

"Well, I _am _a University student," I clicked open the internet and waited for it to load.

"That can't be right Nii-san..." Sayu always looked into her lap when she was thinking. _I can practically see the cogs turning..._ "You didn't go out so much when you _started_ to go to University." Her eyes lit up in an annoying way as she thought of something scandalous. "Say Nii-san? Do you have a girlfriend?" She bum shuffled to the edge of my bed and waited with her hands clasped to her bosom. "So? You do, don't you Nii-san? Why else would you be outside so much?"

I sighed lightly. _Why would I have to have a girlfriend to spend so much time outside? _"Not quite," I said, distracted by the start of my google search. I wanted to research some good places to go in Aoyama. _Where would the Second Kira go in Aoyama...probably somewhere popular._

"What do you mean 'not quite'? Either you do or you don't."

"Is it that important Sayu?" I couldn't think with her in my room like that. I'm always happy to help her with her homework when I'm not busy but in this case I clearly _was. _So why isn't she leaving?

"Of course it is Nii-san! Why wouldn't it be? Isn't it nice to be able to spend time with someone you can easily talk to? Someone who you can trust and love?" Sayu had gotten that far-away look girls get when they're fantasising about boys. But her description had struck a chord in me. _Someone who I can trust and easily be with? That's an accurate description of what I feel like when it's just me and L. Sure he suspects me of being a mass-murderer but why should I let that spoil our time? _I rolled my eyes. I couldn't help feeling that Sayu's view of love was somewhat skewed.

"What's this? Does my little baby sister have a crush on someone?" I teased.

"Of course not! I'm mean...not really..." Sayu had gone very red and had a nervous smile on her face. "I mean...he's really nice but I don't think he likes me." _Well, I'm not going to get any work done with her here so I might as well help her out with this. She might give me some privacy afterwards and I won't feel so guilty leaving mum and Sayu on their own._

I left my laptop on but moved to sit next to Sayu on my bed. She pressed her warm face into my shoulder and I was strongly reminded of how close we used to be when we were younger. If I had to choose between my friends and my sister I would always choose her. _Maybe that's when it started..._

My recent infatuation with Ryuzaki had brought up a number of questions. I'm not stupid enough to believe that being gay is a choice but acting in a particularly gay way was. When did I start acting like that? _I have always played with girls rather than boys. _Some girls were hysterical and most were silly but they were much better than the boys who tended to thunder across the playground playing games that would often include launching themselves at the opponent. _No wonder I hadn't been attracted to those Neanderthals (1) who enjoyed violence and all things destructive. Not like L who could be fascinatingly childish and overwhelmingly mature at the same time._

Sayu snuggled closer into my side which drew me out of my mental rant on the thick-headedness of the heterosexual male. (2)

I could feel her emotions bubbling up to the surface and so encouraged her by saying: "What's wrong Sayu?" With very little assistance on my part Sayu unloaded all her fears about this boy at school. She had been fascinated by him ever since she first met him. Was it love at first sight? Is that even a real thing? Was he interested in her? This boy was very reserved at school which allured Sayu even more. Did he have a past? Could she help him through some sort of pain he was harbouring?

But my sister was anything but naive.

What if he's just pretending? Is he really some sort of player and not a gorgeous suffering Romeo like he seems to be?

During her speech I felt a brotherly compulsion to hold her tighter. I wasn't like other brothers who tended to be so defensive that they hid their sister's so effectively that no boy would catch a glimpse of her till she was at least 27 but I did feel protective of her. _She has some sense so I shouldn't be too worried about her. Sayu isn't one to sleep with a guy she doesn't even know._

"To be honest Sayu, I'm not exactly some love guru. I know very little about relationships so I think it'll be for the best if you learn for yourself." She managed to work loose of my clothing and look at me in confusion.

"Is there something _you_ need to talk about, Nii-san?" I turned away from her so I was facing my French windows.

"Not really," I said. I wasn't prepared to tell her anything about my...problem. Not yet. I sensed her smile.

"This girlfriend that you don't quite have...is 'she' nice?" Sayu felt myself stiffen at her side. _Why say it like that? _She pulled away and gathered her homework from my bed. She moved to leave but I grabbed her wrist.

"Sayu...I..." I felt my face heating up. _Does she really know? Does she care? But more importantly will she tell father? _I had no idea how I should approach my father on this subject but I sensed it would be best if it came from me.

"Don't worry Nii-san," Sayu winked at me before placing a light kiss on my cheek. "Are you going to Aoyama with your 'girlfriend'?" I looked back at my computer where I had managed to type 'Interesting places in Aoyama' into google before I had gotten distracted.

"She's not really my 'girlfriend'..." I trailed off. I was still holding Sayu's wrist and so I quickly let go of it. Sayu nodded in understanding.

"You could always go to 'Note Blue'." My eyes widened at her suggestion. _'22__nd__ My friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama.' Note Blue...'notebooks'? And 'Ao' means 'Blue'...Could this be a coincidence? _I was worried that my imagination was running loose and making desperate connections but if Sayu's suggestion was correct and the Second Kira and Kira had planned to meet there...it would be perfect.

"Uh...Nii-san?" Sayu waved her now free hand in front of my face.

"What? Oh, sorry. But that place sounds interesting. What is it?" Sayu's face seemed to brighten. Since I always looked out for her, Sayu was always happy to help me in any way she could.

"It's this club in Aoyama called Note Blue. There's going to be a concert on the 22nd which looks really awesome! I had wanted to go but Ka-chan said I should study a bit more instead of going out..."Sayu trailed off before remembering she was trying to sell the idea of my going to this club with my 'girlfriend'. "I'm not sure what sort of music is playing but you could easily find out. My friend told me they had a really great website."

"Thank you, Sayu. I'll check it out." I gave Sayu a charming smile.

"No problem," she answered before she left, happy in the knowledge that she had done a good deed today.

I locked my door and leant against it, facing the room. _So there's going to be a concert there on the 22__nd__ in Aoyama. This __**has **__to be the place the Second Kira had in mind. It's just too perfect. _I walked to my desk where I had left my phone, planning on calling L and telling him about Sayu's idea. However, when I flipped open the phone I had second thoughts.

_Why should I tell L? It's not like Aizawa would be convinced of my innocence by telling him about the hunch and it might even raise L's suspicions. The Second Kira had seemed so stupid in her last messages but she put this much thought into it? Wouldn't that make it seem likelier that someone like me had come up with it and was only telling L to keep him off my tail?_

"This is so frustrating..." I growled. I typed in 'Note Blue' into the search engine to find directions to it. This would be the last piece of preparation I needed to make for the trip tomorrow. Everything else was perfect.

But even so I wouldn't be able to rest easily tonight. What with my L problem how could I possibly be able to relax? _That man is always making me second guess myself and I'm not having any more of it! _With that thought I switched off my phone and settled into a comfortable night of boredom.

***

Raito's POV

_22__nd__ May..._

The gaggle of 19 year olds were already assembled when Matsuda arrived. He apologised to me for being late and I waited for the others I had enlisted for a trip to Aoyama to notice his appearance. When they quietened down I introduced him.

"This is my cousin Taro. This is his first time in Tokyo and so he wanted to see the sights. He's also looking for a girlfriend if anyone's volunteering..." I left the fake offer hang in the air. The manufactured teens laughed at my joke and Matsuda shuffled his feet nervously. After a few seconds I asked everyone if they wanted to start and they all nodded their heads. I suggested we head over to Note Blue which was having a concert which I thought might be interesting and I took the enthusiastic cheers as a 'yes'.

_Well done Raito-kun. No one will suspect a cop is hanging out with teenagers. _Matsuda thought as we began to make our way through the town. _Aizawa still suspects him and so does Ryuzaki but look how helpful he is to the investigation. He can't be Kira. _

We passed a never ending line of shops which sold mostly clothes. Our group had to stop several times because some members wanted to go and mooch in them which made progress slow. I was a little annoyed, all I wanted to do was get to Note Blue, but I painted an accommodating smile on my face and somehow restrained myself from screaming in frustration.

We were passing a cafe very similar to all the other cafes on the street pretending to be 'a great place to relax and a great retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life' when the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand on end. I quickly turned around and scanned the faces in the other groups around the street and then the individuals in the cafe. None of them seemed to be watching me and why would they? _Why me? I'm standing amongst students of similar age to me. Why would anyone pick me? _As my search was fruitless I chalked it up to human paranoia. But that was before I saw _her._

One of our girls asked the group at large if she could pop into the shop next to the cafe called 'Spoiled' which gave me time to examine the girl. She had a black bob and was wearing a sombre sailor-girl outfit. She was also wearing a pair of black glasses which she was adjusting. I realised she was probably just waiting for someone and as I was the most handsome of the group was innocently checking me out. However, the girl took off her glasses to clean them on a piece of cloth and I recognised her.

She was Amane Misa.

_What the hell is she doing here? And why is she in disguise?? _My mind quickly offered me the idea that she was the Second Kira - _she's certainly stupid enough. _But everything else I knew about her was so conflicting. She seemed like nothing but a harmless airhead, not a mass-murderer. _Is it really her? _I strained my eyes and now that I knew it was her I couldn't see anything else but her usual blond self. Despite her wig and her different clothes it was definitely her.

She began to talk to one of the waitresses. _But why is she here? Shouldn't she be in or at least near Note Blue? Was my idea wrong? _I quickly dismissed my doubt. _Of course the Second Kira will be there. It's just too perfect to be wrong._

"Hey, Raito-kun? We're moving again," Matsuda gently tugged my arm.

"What? Oh, ok. Thanks Taro," I smiled at him and followed the now moving group, all the while feeling her eyes on my back.

We slowly made our winding way to Note Blue but I felt empty of the excitement I had previously been filled with. One part of me thought: _Maybe I was wrong about Note Blue and Misa is really the Second Kira. _But another side said: _She's probably taking part in some stupid cosplay. She seems to be the kind of girl to do that._

We finally reached Note Blue and we all moved in. The concert wasn't going to start for another hour or so so we made ourselves comfortable. There was the traditional bar but there was also a counter where coffees and teas could be bought. While everyone sipped their drinks and discussed their purchases Matsuda leaned over towards me.

"Hey, Raito-kun. Shouldn't we be going?"

"Don't worry Taro! This concert isn't as long as the usual ones because it's so early in the day. There'll be plenty of time to go sight-seeing afterwards," Matsu Choko, a busty girl who clearly took my joking offer about Matsuda looking for a partner all too seriously, said. She leaned closer to Matsuda who had gone a little red which shut him up.

I happily took a sip of my coffee. My job here was to look for any suspects and ask questions if possible. _If no one suspicious comes into Note Blue then I'll report Misa to L later on. I'll also explain why I didn't think it necessary to approach her._

"Yagami-kun?" A voice said from somewhere over my shoulder. I turned in my seat to see Mikami Teru looking slightly nervous.

"Hi Mikami-kun!" I sat up to look at him properly. "I didn't expect to see you here," I said, sounding like a partner caught cheating. I would have been quite happy to have brought Mikami with me to Note Blue but I didn't think he would like it. Mikami didn't exactly do trendy.

"Hi. Can I talk to you in private," his black eyes roved over the popular members of my group who had begun to pay attention to the studious anti-social boy who had come to talk to me. Even Matsuda was paying attention to him. "I saw you in a shop earlier but you disappeared before I could get to you. It's really important." Mikami scratched his neck in a nervous gesture.

"Umm, sure." I put my coffee down on the table and excused myself. I half expected Matsuda to stop me from going off on my own but it seemed he trusted me enough.

Outside Note Blue was a garden area where a few empty tables had been set for when the weather was warmer. We sat down at one of these tables to talk. Mikami had some shopping bags which he put on the table. One was from that shop, Spoiled, which was next to Misa's cafe.

"Is something wrong Mikami?" I prompted when the other boy didn't start.

"No. I mean yes," he shook his head slightly. I began to get a little worried. _What's gotten Mikami so riled up? _

"Mikami whatever it is there's no need to be nervous," seemingly fortified by my words he swallowed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect to be this nervous but what I have to say is very important," he swallowed again. I murmured reassurance during his pause. _Whatever it is must be very significant...has something bad happened? _I was shocked by how worried I was. _Am I really that fond of Mikami? I don't even know him that much. _I suppose I liked Mikami, despite our lack of ritual contact, because we were similar. We were both orderly, intelligent and reasonable.

"Go on," I said again. Even though I did like Mikami this was getting ridiculous. _Is it going to take him hours to tell me? I need to get back soon otherwise Matsuda might get suspicious._

"I-I..." Mikami stuttered to another stop. I felt myself get angry.

"Look, Mikami. I'm really sorry but I have to get back. The older man there was my cousin and since he doesn't really know anyone else I need to get ba-"

"I love you." Mikami whispered that fated sentence but I still heard it in the silent garden. "I love you," he repeated, more forcefully this time. He had gone beat red and wouldn't look me in the eye. I swallowed.

"Oh...that's nice." I immediately felt like a complete philistine. _How could I be that stupid?? _Mikami's face fell at my response. One half of me was screaming: _Say something! Let him down easily! _But the other half kept up a different narrative which was not helping my thought process. _What should I say? I'm sorry but you're not my type? That'll just make him feel worse even if it is the truth. Why would I want to date a complete neat freak! He's a social outcast because of his 'self sacrificing' nature but he still wants to be one of the popular kids. His hair is immaculate...why? There's no point in him trying to look good because nobody would want to be with such a high and mighty person who thinks he's so good because he 'helps' a few 'downhearted' students. He's so unlike Ryuzaki..._I concluded. _I like Ryuzaki because he's unique, not like Mikami. Mikami only thinks he's unique because he sticks up for people who are bullied but he's not. There are plenty of clichéd characters who save the 'slightly annoyed' in this world. L helps people who really need it like rape victims and Mikami helps people who have been given a wedgie. For Christ sake..._

I was relieved that my mind had finally filtered off and I was left with one thought.

_I don't want Mikami. He's too much like me._

"Mikami...i'm sorry," I started. He dragged his heavy eyes up to my face.

"Why? Why not me?" He whimpered. He looked completely crushed and I wanted to tell him I wasn't worth the pain he was feeling whilst wanting to tell him he wouldn't be worth the trouble of dating. I felt like scum. _How can I think this sort of thing when he's hurt? _

"Mikami, the thing is I don't have feelings for you. There's nothing wrong with you, you're fine and I know there will be a man for you. I'm just not him." I smiled sadly to show I meant no harm.

"But you're perfect Yagami-kun. So it must be me," Mikami flinched lightly for a reason I couldn't see.

"I'm not making myself very clear. I just don't think we're...compatible," I patted him on the shoulder because I didn't know what else to do.

Mikami didn't seem to want to talk anymore. "I'm sorry Mikami. I really need to get back but I'll see you on Monday. Or at the coffee shop? Maybe we could talk a bit more..." I trailed off as the boy seemed unable to respond. I hated to leave him but I was aware of how long we had been gone.

I made my way to the door and grasped the cool handle but before I opened it I heard Mikami finally speak.

"Is it Ryuuga?" He called. I didn't turn around so he said: "Is it Ryuuga who you're compatible with?" I pushed open the door and went inside.

"**Hyuk Hyuk Hyuk. Looks like you've been dumped," **Ryuk said, his voice grated on Mikami's nerves.

"Shut up Ryuk," he said. Mikami put his head in his hands. "Why him? What's so special about Ryuuga? He's ugly, messy, he looks so stupid and he's completely anti-social...so why him? Why him and not me!?" Mikami slammed one of his fists on the table. However, that excursion had worn the boy out. He rested his head on one palm and kept the other fist on the table. "I don't understand."

"**Maybe he likes skinny guys," **Ryuk answered. The shinigami began to laugh as tears slowly dripped onto the table, creating patterns on the dry wood.

"I don't understand," he repeated. "'Ryuuga Hideki'...yeah, he wishes. I bet he has a really stupid name so he took the idol's name to make him feel liked. And the way the girls at school talk about 'Ryuuga'...they say he's unique! He isn't. He's ugly, he's skinny. I hate him! I hate his pale skin and those huge creepy eyes. I hate his stupid jeans and his stupid t-shirt. Why would Yagami-kun prefer someone who doesn't even change his clothes over _me_?" Anger had repressed Mikami's broken heart. "I hate 'Ryuuga'!"

"**Why don't you just kill him then?" **Ryuk leaned closer to Mikami who had spun round in his seat to face the Shinigami. **"We could make the eye trade now. It doesn't take long. Or can't you do it? Can't you kill someone who's innocent?" **Ryuk's mouth stretched into a foul smile which showed off his long teeth.

"Of course I could do it!" Mikami was breathing heavily at the thought of Ryuuga dead. _Then maybe Yagami-kun would start dating me since his 'compatible' boyfriend was gone. _Mikami nodded his head once and gathered his courage. "Ok, Ryuk. I want to make the eye tra-"

"Wait!" A voice yelled at me from one of the bushes dotted around the garden.

"Who's there!" Slowly a head pushed out of one of the foliage. It was followed by shoulders and arms, then a torso and legs. The figure shook some determined leaves off his shirt before stepping closer to where Mikami sat.

The man who stood in front of him looked so similar to the one he had described not long ago but the young law student quickly noticed some differences. It was as if someone had taken Ryuuga and purposefully made some mistakes. The nose was longer and his shoulders where wider. This man's hair seemed to lie flatter than Ryuuga's but his eyes were the most different. Ryuuga had wide, staring brown eyes whereas this stranger's pupils were very small even though his eyes were just as wide.

"Who are you?" Mikami stammered.

"Somebody who's very close to this Ryuuga which you're talking about killing." The man extended his hand with his index finger pointing upward. "Tut, tut, tut," he waggled the finger at Mikami. "That's very naughty."

"**Hyuk, Hyuk, Hyuk, Hyuk," **Ryuk began to laugh very loudly.

"Who are you?" Mikami asked again with more force. This person seemed thinner than Mikami but he doubted he would win a fight. The stranger had a wiry look about him and his large eyes and odd appearance made him seem completely mad. Mikami felt terrified.

"I told you. Now please describe this Ryuuga you were talking about again. It would be very inconvenient if you were talking about the wrong person." The man moved to sit in Yagami-kun's vacated seat. He sat just like Ryuuga: with his legs up to his chest.

Mikami was sitting bolt upright. He knew that Ryuk wouldn't help in a fight and so he described his enemy.

"He sits just like you. He goes to my University...sometimes. Most of the time he's never there. He wears clothes just like you and has the same hair. But his eyes are different from yours. His pupils are really big and his eyes are brown." When Mikami finished his description the stranger rolled his eyes to the sky as if he were thinking.

He looked back at Mikami with his creepy stare before smiling a terrible smile. It would have seemed cute on a child, it looked like a perfect half moon, but on him it looked completely wrong.

"You can call me B," B said. _If he tries to shake my hand I'm going to run for it._

"Now, then. Mikami I would very much like to discuss some things about you." B spoke in a very educated way not befitting his figure. "But it isn't very smart to do it around here. You have no idea who's hiding in a bush."

"Why were you doing that anyway?" Mikami narrowed his eyes.

"I was investigating. Please, come this way. I have a safe place nearby where we can talk," he hopped off the chair and began to walk away.

"Why should I go with you?" Mikami said but despite his words he stood up.

"Because I can help you get Ryuuga's real name," B pushed his hands into his pocket.

"**I'd go with him if I were you, Mikami," **Ryuk was already hovering close to B. I loathed taking advice from a Shinigami but 'B' had known about Ryuuga's fake name.

I took a deep breath and followed the odd man away from the club with Ryuk's laughter ringing in my ears.

***

Raito's POV

I sighed deeply. I was lying on my back on my bed thinking of what had happened today in Aoyama. By the time we had gotten back it was so late Matsuda and I had decided we should go home and report back tomorrow.

_I should probably call L but I'm so exhausted. _I was more tired than if I had been playing tennis all day. _So much had happened..._

Part of me wanted to believe it was a dream. _Only in a dream could Misa be the Second Kira and Mikami could profess his love for me. It's ridiculous. _

_Mikami... _All through the concert and all through the rest of the outing I couldn't help but think of other things I could have said to him. _Maybe I can phrase it better when I next see him. If he'll talk to me again. I wouldn't be surprised if he never wanted to look at me again._

However, despite the disaster with Mikami he had opened up a possibility for me. He had been brave enough to tell me his feelings with no evidence that I would accept them.

_Should I tell Ryuzaki how I feel about him? _I had already but in not so many words. When I had held his hand before Ryuzaki had seemed so sad and shocked but then the next time I saw him he was flirting with me. _Very effectively too... _I thought as I remember Playful L.

It wouldn't be like what Mikami did because I have evidence that Ryuzaki likes me.

"_You are such a proud person Raito-kun and rightfully so. I would hate for you to be so submissive."_

_If that isn't an 'I-want-you' then I don't know what is. _A small smile graced my lips and I cushioned my head with my hands.

Stage 4) Confess my feelings for L. I wasn't sure how he would react but in a way that was what made it exciting. I didn't have to worry about it being too soon or him rejecting me out right, not with how he has been treating me recently. It would also give us something to be happy about. I promised Ryuzaki before that we would catch Kira together and catching him as a couple would be even better.

The image of us working together side by side gave me an odd bubbly feeling in my stomach. I couldn't wait till tomorrow.

* * *

(1) I have nothing against Neanderthals!! Studies have shown that they were actually very intelligent and advanced for their time. But is sounded nice to use...

(2) I have nothing against heterosexual guys!! Studies have shown that they are actually very intelligent and advanced for their time....no,no just joking! I personally have nothing against them but when they are young they mostly tend to be little arses. Or at least in my vast experience.

I'm so glad that's done! I hope you all liked it and I would love to know what you think so review n stuff.

I plan on updating two more times and since I have two days to do it in I should be fine.

Stay tuned!


	12. My eyes

Hello children!! Phew...I managed to finish this is one day! Yay! I enjoyed writing this chapter very much and if I steamed on and it didn't make sense i'm very sorry! As I said my beta has deserted me and so there is probably some mistakes. I've done my best to correct them but i've probably missed a lot.

**THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!! PLEASE READ THIS!!! **I just wanted to say thank you!!!!!! To everyone who reviewed. I had 15 reviews in one night! I was a little worried everyone would be wielding mental pitchforks and torches but you weren't. Yay! I need to say a double thank you to Zena Silverwing who reviewed several times!!

Some people who reviewed had a few concerns which I want to address. Achem...

Several people were concerned about the POV change near the end of the last chapter between Raito's to Mikami's. I wanted to explain that I did something that made sense to me but clearly didn't make sense to everyone else. It started off as Raito's POV in the club and when he left it stayed his POV but he wasn't there....yeah. When Mikami was talking to Ryuk and BB it wasn't _really _his POV as it was in third person. I don't think I said 'I' in that bit and if I did I am very sorry for confusing people.

Some people have been a little offended by my stereotyping in the last chapter. I want to say that these are not my views as I said at the end...of course not all straight men are like that! But I thought that that would be what Raito-kun would think. Plus I'm not smart enough to think of a good, sensitive, way to convey that differently.

Plus this explanation is **VERY IMPORTANT! **I have had a few people wondering when Raito would get his memories back and so I just want to say that IN THIS FIC RAITO IS NOT KIRA AND NEVER WILL BE!! I'm glad I cleared that up and I apologise to any and all readers who have gotten confused.

I hope I've addressed some people's questions and if not please ask me them through a PM or a review. Now that that bit's over let's get to the next chapter.

I hope you like it!!

* * *

Raito's POV

The ticking of the grandfather clock in the hotel room was the only sound.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock... _

"Ryuzaki?" The sound of my voice sounded odd in the near silent room. I had been too excited to talk to Ryuzaki to wait till the designated time of meeting so I was the only one in the room with my delicate love interest. I had started off the conversation with my distrust of Amane Misa which had caused him to go into his current obmutescence (1). Ryuzaki was leaning against the cool window watching the sun slowly rise into the clouds. "Ryuzaki?" I repeated. I could see his thumb jerk from his lips in his reflection.

"Hmm?" He distractedly said.

"Is something wrong?" He had been thinking for some time and it was making me nervous. _Is he trying to make this bit of information make me out to be Kira?_

"Not really Raito-kun," he completely detached himself from the window and moved over to the collection of table and chairs where I was sitting. L began to eat the slice of strawberry cake he had been neglecting while he was 'thinking'. _What's so important that he ignored his favourite dessert?_

"Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki's fork was trapped between his white teeth. "Do you have any basis for your suspicions other than Amane Misa being there in Aoyama on the right day? And what about this 'Note Blue'?"

I felt the need to hang my head but repressed it. "I don't really have any evidence about Amane-san, it was just a hunch. And my sister told me that Note Blue was having a concert on the 22nd and I had theorised that the Second Kira would want the meeting place to be somewhere popular so it would be less likely they would be seen in such a crowded place."

Ryuzaki nodded as he speared another bite of cake. "Your sister's suggestion makes sense," I tried to butt in to tell him why I hadn't called him about it but he beat me to it. "There is no need for you to check in with me on all of your decisions Raito-kun. It was a good idea and you checked it out, it's unfortunate the club did not show any suspicious characters. Concerning Amane-san she will have been caught on several of the security cameras and we could see if she spoke to anyone particular. And Raito-kun?" I had been glaring out of the window, thinking _I should have confronted her..._but my attention was drawn back to the conversation. "You shouldn't discard ideas just because they are 'hunches'. It is worrying how many decisions I have made on a 'hunch' but many of those decisions have been the correct one. Your first opinion is usually the right one. I never thought you would be one to second guess yourself," Ryuzaki said with his deliciously husky voice that I loved too much. He had finished destroying the cake and was playing with the strawberry on his plate.

"I was just worried that I had been so suspicious because I didn't really like her." Ryuzaki pressed into the juicy fruit.

"Well, once Watari has the tapes then we will see." The red fruit passed between L's bloodless lips and I couldn't help watch while he chewed the fruit. It seems my potential lover had noticed my scrutiny because his pink tongue poked out to lick his lips. "Do I have anything on my mouth, Raito-kun?"

"What? Oh. No!" I felt myself go red. _Dammit! Why does this guy make me lose my composure so easily? _

The morning light shone on Ryuzaki's raven hair as he nodded. _I wonder what his hair feels like ...no! Pay attention! _Ryuzaki stretched across the table to grab some skittles and his clothes stretched across his chest pleasantly.

_....._

I swallowed thickly and tried to come up with a distraction but failed spectacularly. The only idea that pushed into my preoccupied mind was the most recent stage in my plan. _But would it really be appropriate to tell him now? We were just talking about the Kira case for goodness sake...it would be quite a change of topic. Perhaps I'll wait a little while. Maybe I'll wait until Ryuzaki seems more interested in me. The only evidence I have is two cases of flirting and a general sense of liking. Maybe professing my love isn't such a good idea..._

Ryuzaki unscrewed a thermos and poured coffee into a tea cup. He then proceeded to drop individual sugar cubes into his drink. My mind was going to great effort to think of something _normal _to say to fill the gap but Ryuzaki seemed completely content to sit in silence with me. I was reminded of what Sayu had said two days ago.

"_Isn't it nice to be able to spend time with someone you can easily talk to? Someone who you can trust and love?" _

I had begun to believe it was nicer to be with someone who you didn't _have _to talk to. _Isn't that the real test? If you don't have to come up with some entertainment to distract you? If you are happy to just __**be **__with that person? _

Ryuzaki's advice was slowly dissolving my insecurities. _"It is worrying how many decisions I have made on a 'hunch' but many of those decisions have been the correct one. Your first opinion is usually the right one." _

"Actually Ryuzaki there was something else I wanted to talk to you about." I had interrupted the beautiful man during his first sip of his sugar paste and when he answered me he had sugar grains dotted along his lips. I watched his pink tongue sweep along his mouth once more.

"Oh?"

"Yes. But it is a personal matter so if you don't have the time..." I let my offer hang in the air. _Please say yes. _My courage was failing me quite quickly but now that I had started I couldn't just take it stop without a reason to.

"I do not have anything else to do, not until Watari comes back with the tapes and the other members get here. You did come here very early Raito-kun." Ryuzaki's large eyes were trained on my face but for once they did not look intimidating or empty but they looked expectant. _I've never seen Ryuzaki look so interested in what other people have to say. _

"Well..." I gulped slowly. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Mikami. _Now I know how hard this was for him. At least Ryuzaki would let me down a bit gentler. _

I opened my mouth to continue but found no sound would come out. _Why is this so hard?? It's not like I'll die if he says 'no'. _

_Oh really? _A second part of me asked. If Ryuzaki said 'no' what would it do to our relationship? Holding his hand had seemed to strengthen it if anything but would this destroy it? _Would I be making Ryuzaki so uncomfortable if I did this? He had been flirting with me before, of that I am sure of but then he had a chance to back out of our 'relationship' if he got scared but after I ask him it's either 'yes' or 'no'. Isn't it? _I gave up asking myself the same questions over and over again.

"Raito-kun? Are you ok?" Ryuzaki looked genuinely confused. His eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Yes I am. Ryuzaki can I be honest with you?"

"Of course."

"I have no idea how I should say this so I'm just going to come out with it." I saw Ryuzaki's eyes widen.

_What has gotten Raito-kun so tongue tied? _Ryuzaki thought. _He's never shown such a shy side before. _

"Ryuzaki. I like you very much as you know. No that's wrong...I don't like you. I love you," I refused to break eye contact with my overwhelmed love interest. "So...what about you?" I felt myself deflate. _Damn, that had sounded so good at the start..._

Ryuzaki was frozen in place with his hand half stretched towards his cup.

"Are you ok?" I asked worried. _Surely it shouldn't be that much of a surprise? Had I gotten it all wrong? Was he not flirting with me? Why isn't he saying anything?_

My question seemed to have broken the spell on Ryuzaki because he managed to swallow before grasping his cup. He took a long sip of his sugar paste as I waited for him to talk. Ryuzaki's cup made a light clatter as it came in contact with the saucer. A sigh escaped his lips.

"You don't know much about timing, do you Raito-kun?" I was surprised to see a sad smile on that beloved face.

"What do you mean?"

"Raito-kun we are currently dealing with a Second Kira and-"

"But you promised to catch Kira with me! There's just more for us to do is all." The look on Ryuzaki's face made me regret interrupting him.

"Can I finish Yagami-kun?" I nodded at his stern voice. "As I said we are dealing with a Second Kira and so it would be best not to get distracted. However, I have planned for a distraction very soon..." I sensed that the last bit was said to himself rather than me. His thumb traced his lower lip and his eyes swivelled to the ceiling. _What's he thinking? _I thought. His eyes turned to mine. "And Raito-kun to be in love someone would imply that you trust them. I am afraid to say that I still believe you are the first Kira."

I nodded and my fringe hung in front of my eyes. _Of course he couldn't trust me. After all I have only been risking my life for him! _A small part of me said that that wasn't fair and I had to agree. _I just haven't given him enough time. _

"However, if we were in an intimate relationship I would get to know you better and would be better at realising when you are lying or not. This could lead to a conclusion but..." Ryuzaki was talking to the ceiling once more. Ryuzaki wet his lips. "But would it be best for the investigation?" Even though the question wasn't directed at me I answered it anyway.

"Of course! If we were in a relationship then we would learn more about each other and be able to work more effectively together." I leaned forward and I knew I was acting too eager but I didn't care. _It's clear he wants to be with me otherwise he would have said he had no feelings but all he's doing is thinking about our responsibilities. _

"But wouldn't it cause more tension than it would solve? We have fought a few times but that has never hindered the investigation. I am more worried about your father and Aizawa-san. I don't think either of them would like the idea of us sleeping together," L replied. I was delighted to see Ryuzaki was wearing a real cheeky smile. I couldn't help but think: _Yay! Playful L's back! _It really was nice to see my L every now and again.

"I suppose they wouldn't. Especially not my father. He does get a little protective of me." I was grinning despite the large problem we were talking about. _Ryuzaki wants to sleep with me..._I felt giddy.

"Does your father even know you're gay, Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki took another sip of his sugar paste. It seemed the other-worldly man had shaken off his rigor mortis-like state.

"No he doesn't," I calmly said. Ryuzaki's eyes swivelled back to mine and I felt my heart leap. _Why should I worry about my father now when Ryuzaki has accepted me? He hasn't said it in words but that doesn't matter. _Now that I was free of that anxiety I felt very light, like I was made of air. _He likes me!_

"I see," Ryuzaki said. He appeared to be thinking again. I was a little ashamed that my line of thought was much more trivial then his. My thoughts consisted of how perfect his skin looked in the daylight. I also had an odd compulsion to smell him. _I bet he smells gorgeous... _I hoped he didn't notice me shaking my head slightly. _Now is not the time! _I had always been attracted to Ryuzaki's maturity and even though he sat and looked so odd he was giving off such a sophisticated air. _Am I really attracted to deep, mysterious boys? Am I like Sayu? _I decided that I wouldn't be attracted to anyone else even if they did act in a similar way. Ryuzaki was special and I could only love _him._

"Raito-kun, let me ask you this." I managed to give my almost lover my full attention despite my brains attempts at smut. "I do indeed like you but I am not ready for a relationship." I felt my face fall.

_What...?_

"And I believe it would be for the best if you tell your parents about being a homosexual." I felt hope fill me up again. _There has to a 'but' here somewhere. There has to be. _"I may not be ready yet but by the time you tell them I believe I will have come to terms with my emotions. Once I sort things out I would prefer not to have to hide our relationship. So, is that a fair compromise Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki smirked and I was surprised that it suited him.

"I think so," I said, my own smirk rising to the surface.

"That's good then." Ryuzaki sprung out of his seat leaving his empty cup on the table. When he was upright he stretched languidly and I couldn't help but move to stand next to him. "Even though we have our suspicions about Amane Misa I need you to be just as vigilant in Shibuya tomorrow. You will be going with Matsuda but for now I need you to be my eyes, Raito-kun." Ryuzaki fixed me with a serious stare but my heart never felt lighter.

"_I need you to be my eyes"... I like that. _

"So I think it would be for the best if you went home to prepare for tomorrow."

"Ok," I answered, a stupid grin on my face. Ryuzaki raised an eyebrow at me when I didn't move and then I did something stupid.

I kissed him.

It was as chaste a kiss could be but I felt as stupid as if I had started to strip. _What the hell? _I pulled away from Ryuzaki. His lips had felt so soft and compliant under my touch, much to my surprise, and I had expected him to be angry but instead Ryuzaki patted my cheek lightly.

"Are you finished now, Raito-kun?" He said with no malice in his voice.

"I'm sorry," I replied feeling an embarrassing heat touch my face and sweat lightly coat my back.

"There's no need to be. I have accepted your feelings after all and so there is no problem in fulfilling them especially in such an innocent way. But I do not want you to do that again until I say you can." Ryuzaki grew more serious. "As I have said there are some things I still need to work out before I can enjoy..." Ryuzaki seemed to search for words and, like I had not long ago, fail so instead he gestured between us.

"Ok Ryuzaki. I'm sorry," I repeated even though I knew I was forgiven. I said goodbye and went to leave when I felt a cool hand grab my wrist. I turned around to face Ryuzaki and gasped. His face was completely open and I could see pain in his eyes. _What's wrong? Why is it every time I get to see all of the real L he seems to be in so much pain? _

"Be careful in Shibuya Raito-kun." He whispered before letting me go and turning back to the window.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "I will Ryuzaki." Before I could do anything else stupid I made my way over to the door but before I opened it I turned back to face my lover. He was still gazing at the people bellow us, moving about their daily life like ants so unaware of the drama going on above them. "There's no need to worry about me Ryuzaki. I will always come back, no matter what." Then I opened the door and left.

I felt that reassuring him had been the right thing to do. I had already assumed that he was an orphan or at least abused by his parents so it made sense for him to fear losing another loved one.

As I made my way home I was torn between two contrasting ideas. _Tomorrow in Shibuya if I see someone suspicious should I go to them and question them or should I be even more careful than yesterday so I don't hurt Ryuzaki?_

A small laugh escaped me.

_Do I care so much about him that I would be more worried about what it would do to him if I got hurt than my own pain? _I concluded that that was only natural. _Ryuzaki clearly doesn't have much experience with relationships and yet he has been so brave to accept me, I should be more careful with him. I was lucky he didn't mind me kissing him but next time I should be more attentive to his emotions. _

_I will give him as much time as he needs before I try to kiss him again. _As I thought this I was reminded uncomfortably of the promise I had made Ryuzaki. _I have to tell my father about us..._

With this daunting obligation heavy on my heart I headed home to prepare myself for tomorrow.

***

L's POV

I lay my forehead against the window pane. The morning light had warmed it nicely. I felt a childish smile develop on my lips even though I knew I had no reason to be happy. _I should never have accepted. I should never have been so friendly with Raito-kun either. It's just immoral. _

With this thought my smile dissolved. I knew it was wrong of me to accept Raito-kun's advances. We were unsuited for one another. Raito-kun was a true socialite and even though I had seen him express a reluctance to spend time with the more average community I knew I couldn't keep him inside with me all the time. Raito-kun was a dedicated student and he would be a great helper...no a great detective to work alongside but it was unfair of me to chain him down. _I've not been fair to the boy. He is younger than I am and he could easily find someone else. It was far too selfish of me to force Raito-kun to follow me to different hotels, not staying in one place for very long. How will he make friends? How will he stay in contact with his family? _By accepting Raito-kun I had effectively destroyed his life.

I could fool myself into thinking that if I had tried hard I could have declined him but I knew it not to be true. After being alone with just Watari for company all my life, only having contact with people through a computer screen, it was terrible to think of not being with Raito-kun who I was extremely fond of. If I had said 'no' it would have destroyed our friendship. I have read in books that people could stay friends in a situation like this in theory but in practice that rarely worked out.

_I should not have accepted such a proposal from my Kira suspect. _Despite that thought I knew it was just an obligation to the investigation that I still suspected the young man. _I believe that Kira would want to try and gain my affection and so find my real name but not in the way Raito-kun has. _Raito-kun had seemed so nervous when he asked and so blissfully happy when I said 'yes' that he seemed genuine. I do not believe anyone was that good an actor, not even Kira.

I walked back to my seat and sat down to wait for Watari to return with the tapes. I stared at Raito-kun's vacated seat and felt a pang in my chest. _What was that? _At the thought of Raito-kun being absent from the room I had felt...sad. _No 'sad' isn't the right word. I feel more of a...longing. Yes, that's correct. _I felt a terrible aching longing to see my new paramour in my chest in a similar way to the longing I had felt the day after he had held my hand.

_It seems that no matter how wrong this union is I cannot tell him 'no' now. If I did I might fall apart. _In the few silly romance books I had trawled through, during the climax of the story the main character usually experienced a 'broken heart', a description I had thought ridiculous. I remember thinking: _If you're heart is broken you would be dead not consuming a tub of ice cream, _even though I felt I could probably put off death to have a last bite of chocolate peanut butter ice cream if I tried hard. However, despite the controversy of the descriptionthe thought of losing Raito-kun now did make my heart ache so much that it might break if we were completely parted.

Now that my decision was final I began to make preparations. There were still some things to work out emotionally but the physical preparations were most important.

I did not have to worry about Raito-kun following me from hotel to hotel for the moment because for a long time Watari and I had been arranging a permanent base of operation. The construction of which should be finished within a few months.

So there was a much more pressing matter. I did not plan to have sexual intercourse with Raito-kun for a while now but I did not expect for a second, especially considering his eagerness earlier on, that he would abstain from _all _physical contact. _I think I can trust Raito-kun to be professional while we are with the other taskforce members but once they're gone..._

_Even if Raito-kun does stay for longer I need that time to do my own research. I'll happily accept his extra help but I'll need to keep him on track and if that chaste kiss was anything to go by I may not be able to do so myself. Watari won't help either. _My guardian had known of my infatuation for some time considering our conversation yesterday. The old man had jokingly and indiscreetly reminded me of the merits of safe sex. _It wasn't even that funny..._I thought as I remembered his guffaws of laughter when I cut him off.

_So...it seems that __**they're**__ my only choice. But which one? _I quickly ran through their merits before making a decision. Watari opened the hotel door as I opened my phone; he was carrying a pile of tapes which he put down on the coffee table in front of me.

"These are the tapes from the security cameras in Aoyama. The videos on the top are from the ones near the cafe Raito-kun specified."

"Thank you Watari," I said. I flipped open my phone and began dialling.

"Who are you calling?" He asked but I had to ignore him because the man had picked up.

"Hi?" The brusque voice said.

"Mello, this is L. I need your help."

***

Raito's POV

It was after dinner and I was relaxing in my bedroom. I had already made the preparations for tomorrow: I was going to take Sayu to Shibuya to go clothes shopping and take Matsuda with us. He could easily pass for an elder brother or my cousin like yesterday. Sayu managed to convince Ka-chan to let her go but she seemed less excited about the trip when I told her Matsuda was not my 'girlfriend'.

She was staying over a friend's house tonight and we would pick her up on the way. This meant that it was just my mother, my father and me in the house. My promise to L was pressing against the inside of my skull but I couldn't bring myself to go downstairs. I knew my mum would be supporting and she would be disappointed about not having biological grandchildren, unless Ryuzaki wanted to use a surrogate mother but I doubted it, but she'd still be behind me 98%. However, it was my father who was the problem. He was very proud of having a 'normal' son and I was afraid what my confession would do to your relationship. I had never been particularly fond of my father. He could be intelligent at times and he had done everything a normal father does: he had taken me to the playground when I was young, he had gone to all my stupid school plays and he had always counselled me through the rare spots of bullying in my life.

But he had never been overly accepting of any deviations from the path he had set out from me. He wanted me to go to To-Oh University and so I applied there. He wants me to be a police officer like him so I'm studying to be one. I have always played the part of the perfect son so well I don't know how he would react.

One part of me knew he could go completely psycho over it and kill Ryuzaki (maybe not kill him but get very angry at him at least) or he could be accepting of it and be happy that I was dating a man he somewhat trusted. Ryuzaki's suspicions would also be lowered when we got to know each other better which would make my father very happy as well.

I didn't want to but my obligation to Ryuzaki made me cross my room and open my door. I took a large breath to prepare me for the imminent confrontation. _When am I going to have them alone in the future? I should just get it over and done with. _

I walked down the stairs and into the living room where my parents were watching the news. They were both sitting on the sofa and my mum had her head on my father's shoulder. They hadn't noticed me yet and so I had time to properly examine them. They looked so peaceful. So normal. _Where do I fit in? Certainly not in this family of happy mediocre people who had no problems. They were so perfect...and what am I? I'm the anomaly. People had always said how easy it must be being a genius but they don't understand how cut off that makes you. How it makes you think bad things, like how pathetic they are in there easy silly little lives. They don't know how lonely it feels being a genius. It's amazing how abandoned you can feel even in a crowd._

_My parents had never understood the way I felt about my life and about my friends. But L does. I know he does. I can see it in his eyes whenever the taskforce try to contradict him and need him to explain himself. I know he feels that same misanthropy as I do and that's why I love him so much. I shouldn't be afraid of loving him. _In that second I made one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. I decided that I wasn't going to care about what my father thought, I was going to be proud of my homosexuality.

"Tou-san? Ka-chan? Can I talk to you for a second?" I asked as I stepped into the room bursting their perfect bubble.

"Of course Raito," my father said. Because the news had finished my mum turned off the TV. I moved to stand in front of my parents.

"Is something wrong Raito?" My mum said asked.

"No, there's nothing wrong," I said with more conviction than when I was talking to Ryuzaki. "Tou-san, Ka-chan I just wanted to say that I am gay." I said in the most matter-of-fact way I could muster. They both seemed to freeze.

"Raito, that isn't funny," my mother said.

"It wasn't meant to be. I'm completely serious Ka-chan," I said trying to stay calm.

"But...are...are you sure?" My mum moved off the sofa and clutched my shoulder as if she was afraid I'd try to run.

"I am," I said. I saw moisture build at the corner of her eyes and she nodded once. I pulled her into a half-hug and she burst into full tears. "It's ok Ka-chan. Nothing has changed...i'm just the same as I was last week." I lay my head on top of hers.

"You were always such a sweet boy. I should have guessed, you were always so much more helpful than the other boys your age," she gasped. Ka-chan took a sobbing breath and seemed more stable. She took my face in her hands. "And you're absolutely sure." She smiled when I rolled my eyes. "I should have known you had figured it all out on your own. You were always so independent."

"You don't mind?" I asked, terrified of her answer.

"Raito...This has happened so suddenly. I need some time to think."

"I understand," I said. I unwrapped her arms from around my waist. She gave me a watery smile.

"This is your life Raito. I know you will be sensible with this and make the right decisions. I just need a little time to...come to terms with this. Does Sayu know?"

"Yeah. She figured it out herself," I said. Throughout our exchange I was painfully aware of how silent my father was. I looked at him and he was calmly cleaning his glasses but there was a briskness to his actions that disturbed me.

"Sachiko, could you leave a moment?" My father asked. "I'd like to talk to Raito in private." My mother shook her head but I told her it was fine. After some encouragement she went into the kitchen where I knew she would be listening in, ready to jump in if my father got too angry. When the door closed my father cleared his throat. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" His voice was dangerously relaxed, like the calm before a lightning storm.

"Because I have only figured it out myself," I answered.

"How did Sayu know then?"

"She guessed." I knew my terse reply wasn't appropriate, I should have tried to keep to the perfect son routine but I was getting a little tired of it.

"Ah," he said. He scuffed his foot on the carpet. "How did you find out?" I sense from his tone of voice there was more to the question.

"I just did Tou-san. I can't explain it very well." I was at a loss as to what to do so I glared out the window.

"You must have found out somehow Raito." Impatience began to creep into his voice. "It doesn't just happen overnight. What about all those girls you've brought over in the past? Did you feel nothing for them?"

To be honest I didn't. When I kissed girls I did it to try and be normal but it had not sparked the expected flame. Even the one boy I had kissed hadn't made me feel anything.

"No Tou-san," I said.

"Ok. What about the boys that have come over?" I felt myself flush in anger.

"They're my friends! I didn't bring them over to do _anything _with them. What does it matter anyway? It's not like I've changed over the last few minutes. I'm still the Raito I was yesterday or the day before that."

"It does matter Raito because I want to know who you really are. Your mother and I have had so many dreams for you. We imagined you having a proper job, getting married to a nice girl and having children. But it seems we're the only ones planning this, doesn't it? I want to know what else you've been hiding." His voice had begun to rise and I made mine match.

"I haven't been _hiding _anything, Tou-san! You have no idea how much it has hurt to tell you this! I dreamed of those simple things too but not anymore! There's so much more for me, Tou-san, than just marriage." I hated how my voice turned pleading. No matter how much he hurt me I still wanted to be my daddy's little boy.

"What about that girl Sachiko had told me about? Amane Misa? She said you two had gotten along so we-"

"No!" I yelled. _Calm down! Yelling is not a good idea, _I thought but I couldn't help it. _Amane Misa? That idiot? Do they not know me at all? _"I hate her! Why would I want to be with such a manufactured airhead?"

"Because that would have been normal," my father whispered. He had said it so quietly I could have imagined it but my father was wearing a far too guilty look.

"Normal?" My throat felt raw and that horrible prickly feeling behind my eyes had started again. _No, I won't let him hurt me like this. _"I can be normal with a man Tou-san," my voice broke and I had to stop.

"That's the thing Raito. I just don't see how you can be normal and date a man. How can you be a detective and be gay?"

"What?" I whispered everything else had been so stereotypical I could understand it but not this.

"The sort of things you see on TV is just horrendous Raito. We do not want you to be like that. You hear stories of men having sex in bathrooms, having one night stands, acting so effeminately...how could a police officer act like that?"

"Tou-san you know that that is just a stereotype. Not all gay men have sex in bathrooms and act like that. I don't!"

My father shook his head and looked at his feet.

"I don't," I repeated more forcefully. He shook his head one more time.

"I don't understand it Raito. How can you be happy being with a man?" I felt my anger pile up again.

"How can Ka-chan be happy with you?"

I was glad to see my father nod at this.

"But what about children, Raito? Do you not want to have them?" He sat back down on the sofa and was rubbing his eyes under his glasses. He sounded like he was lecturing me.

"Of course I do but we could always adopt. Or something." I shrugged.

"We?" I froze but as I didn't speak he carried on with his interrogation. "How can any child cope in an environment where they don't have a mother and a father?"

"How can any child cope in an environment where they have a single parent?" I countered.

The man who called himself my father rattled out more and more stereotypical questions which I easily countered but with each one my patience grew thinner and thinner. And when he finished with "It's just not natural," I snapped.

"Not natural?? Like it doesn't happen in nature? That's absolute bullshit Tou-san! Homosexuality is common in nature. In fact zebras, baboons, dolphins, sheep, buffalo, duck, foxes, elephants, horses, gorillas, moose, house cats, pigs, rabbits, swans and lions have been known to experience homosexuality and that's just to name a few. Or is it just not natural to humans? Well, neither are glasses, polyester, crisps nor flying which I believe you have used and done throughout your life. Homosexuality is natural! There's nothing wrong with it and if you can't see that then I don't want to see you anymore."

I moved to storm out of the room but my father blocked my way.

"Young man that is no way to talk to your father! You should treat me with respect not like that," he grabbed my shoulders and my skin crawled. _How can he demand respect when he's just spewed all that ignorant nonsense!_

"I will treat you with respect when you treat me with some." When he tried to speak I cut him off. "You have never treated me with respect! I have always done what you asked, always, and I deviate once and this is how you react! Can't you even try like Ka-chan? I'm not going to change just because you get all huffy. I'm leaving," I pushed past him and ran upstairs.

"Where are you going?" He called. I slammed open my door and gathered some overnight clothes into a bag. I grabbed my toothbrush and my hairbrush as well. I ran back down the stairs and passed my father. Before I could open the door he forced me to look at him.

"Where are you going?" He growled.

"To Ryuzaki's hotel," I answered between gritted teeth. _How can he have the nerve to pretend he still cares about me? _My father seemed genuinely surprised by my answer.

"Why?"

"Because _he _cares for me!" I yelled in his face. I saw his eyes widened in understanding before I slammed the door in his face.

I stormed down the garden path and began to walk to the hotel. It was nearby and because there was a little daylight left I decided to walk there. Walking had always calmed me down and I didn't want to do something rash like get into a fight with Ryuzaki.

"Ahhh!" I growled in frustration. _Why did he act like that? _My father had never shown that he was against homosexuals before but it had never come up before. "That was a lot worse than expected," I said out loud. I had expected him to scream and shout but not to question me like that. He had said that he wanted to know who I really was. _How can he say that? I've never caused him any trouble before... _I felt my eyes prickle again. _And now he knows Ryuzaki and I are dating or at least care for each other. I hope that stupid man doesn't do anything to inconvenience Ryuzaki and the investigation. _

That thought tumbled me over the edge. _I only want to help and this is what I get? _I felt the warm salty tears flow over my face and so I ran as hard as I could. The feel of my foot slamming into the pavement and my breath ripping out in short gasps made me feel better but not entirely.

By the time I knocked on Ryuzaki's door I was full on crying and I felt so ashamed. I wiped my tears on my sleeve. _Suck it up Raito. I can't face Ryuzaki like this._

A muffled "come in" reached my ears and I yanked open the door. Ryuzaki was standing there with a worried look on his face. _He must have looked through the peep hole._

"Raito-kun," he said in his husky voice which I loved so much. His beautiful eyes were filled with care. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" His voice sounded so defensive of me and it was all too much.

I drew Ryuzaki into a tight hug, buried my head into his warm neck and I cried my soul out.

* * *

I hope you liked it!! How could Yagami-san be so mean to our Raito?

I'm sorry if he sounded OC in this chapter but as Yagami-san seemed so full of old values I thought he might not be as accepting of homosexuality.

If you want to watch the videos that I watched for 'research' type in "Is homosexuality a choice?" into youtube and click on the first one. It's very informative.

And you should also watch "Why homosexuality should be banned" if you click on the first one you should get the right one.

If you really didn't like this chapter or really liked it please review and tell me why. I had some really good critisism for the last chapter and I would love to have some more!!

(1)I feel very smart using that word. It means becoming or keeping silent I think...It would be just my luck if I've got the wrong definition...


	13. Chapter 13 BB's chapter

Hello children!! I've managed to update again, yay!

Anyone who has read _Another note: the LABB murder case _will understand the chapter name. Wait...is that a spoiler????

I have a few announcements to say and I would **APPRECIATE IT IF YOU READ THEM! **Several people have been a little iffy about my characterisation in the last chapter and I hope I clear up your worries in this one.

Also I just want to warn you that in flashbacks everything is opposite. In them normal writing will be in italics and thought will not be italics.

**WARNING: **There are some spoilers for _Another note: the LABB murder case. _Well, I don't think they are huge spoilers but I thought it best just to warn you just in case.

**ANOTHER WARNING: **I have had to use some of the original dialogue...so you know the bits I don't accept credit for!!

I didn't send this to my beta so I'm sorry for the mistakes but I hope you like it anyway!

* * *

L'S POV

I had managed to move us to the sofa but I was unsuccessful at removing Raito-kun from my shoulder. He had stopped crying a while ago but he seemed determined to stay attached to me for as long as possible. I had asked him what was wrong several times but I got nothing but nonsensical answers. I discovered it was best to wait for him to calm down before encouraging him to speak.

I was shocked beyond belief when I saw Raito-kun at my door, especially crying. Part of me was ecstatic that he trusted me enough to be so defenceless but another part was despairing. It seems obvious that Raito-kun could not be Kira: even if Kira was trying to win my affection I doubt he would go so far as to cry in front of me. I should probably be happy that my lover might not be a mass-murderer but that meant I had been wrong. I was never wrong. _Does this mean I have overlooked other evidence because I was so sure he was Kira? Have I made any other mistakes?_

Raito-kun snuffled quietly. I had draped my arm around his shoulder and he had, in turn, trapped me with his arms around my waist. I was childishly proud that so much contact wasn't making my skin crawl. I was not so deluded to believe that my aversion to closeness with other human beings was completely cured but it was obvious that Raito-kun was different. Only Watari and he had shown me _kind _contact and so I did not mind reciprocating.

However, I was still feeling some emotional confusion at Raito-kun's behaviour. _How are you supposed to comfort someone anyway? Sweets have always cheered me up but Raito-kun won't accept any. So what can I do? How could everyone in those frivolous romance books know exactly what to do in such a situation? _I felt anger at my upbringing bubble up and not for the first time. _Why does this come so easily for everyone else?_

Raito-kun didn't want any sweets so I did the only thing I knew to do: I patted him. It was an embarrassing gesture at best but it was better than nothing. A few minutes of patting and general holding seemed to satisfy Raito-kun and calmed him down.

After twenty minutes or so Raito-kun released me. I felt annoyed at how relieved I was. _I see couples holding each other for hours outside so why can't we? Maybe it's a guy thing... _I thought as I grabbed a chocolate bar. When the sweet chocolate touched my tongue I felt contentment fill me. _Ok, I can deal with this now._

"What has gotten you so upset, Raito-kun?" I asked through bites of my chocolate. His eyes were red and he sniffed. I passed him a tissue.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His voice was husky from crying so hard, and he quickly blew his nose.

"There's no need to be sorry. I understand, sometimes the pressure gets too much," I said. I was shocked that Raito-kun wasn't playing our usual games: I could see his emotions more clearly than ever. His permitted moment of weakness had made him more open, he had no walls to hide behind at the moment, and he seemed scrubbed clean of his worries. _I do understand...crying always helps. _"There's never any point in letting it build up too high. You're very good at crying, Raito-kun." I took the last bite of my bar.

"Huh?"

"If you cry for too long you make yourself ill but for too short a time you don't release all the tension. You cried for a suitable amount of time," I explained. He gave me a tired smile and I offered him a bag of marshmallows. He shook his head. _Ah well, his loss, _I thought as I popped the white confectionary into my mouth.

"I don't really like marshmallows," he said and I was caught mid-chew.

"You don't like them?" I said.

"Uh-uh," he replied. _Who doesn't like marshmallows? _I thought. _What kind of man am I dating? _I managed to push my distress to a corner of my mind for later inspection. _I have a more pressing problem._

"What happened Raito-kun?" The embarrassed boy rubbed his eyes.

"My father wasn't too happy about me being gay," he answered and I felt my stomach fall.

"Oh." _This isn't good. Unless we solve this, Yagami-san might be too irate to properly concentrate on the investigation. I don't think he will be as good as I when it comes to setting emotions aside..._

"Yeah. I managed to make the preparations for tomorrow though." I nodded. _Would it be wrong if I interfered with this problem while Raito-kun is in Shibuya? I'd hate it if I was the reason that the Yagami family split up. An argument like this could damage their ties to each other. But would it be right for __**me **__to butt in? _"I'm sorry Ryuzaki. But my father knows we're together. I left before he could say much but he didn't seem happy about it at all."

_Okay scrap that, I'll __**have **__to get involved._

"I see," I said. _Why is he looking at me like that? _Raito-kun had an apologetic look on his face. "There's no need to worry about that now. What has happened has happened and I did say I didn't want our relationship to be a secret."

"Yeah, but-"

"No 'buts' Raito-kun." I stopped to smile at him. "It seems you're stuck with me now, no matter what." The young man's laughter was very mellow and thoroughly addictive.

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Raito-kun answered and leaned a little closer to me. I was glad to see that he was much more composed. "I'm just worried about the investigation. I wasn't really as calm as I could have been." He gave me a crooked smile.

"If I was in the same situation as you I believe I would have had trouble keeping my temper under control as well. I've heard it's difficult coming out to your parents." Watari came into the hotel room and deposited a tea pot and a sugar bowl onto the coffee table. I began to mix my favourite drink.

When Watari had left again Raito-kun caught my attention by waving his hand in front of my face.

"Yes, Raito-kun?" I asked, not letting myself sound too miffed.

"Is Watari you're grandfather, or something?" Raito-kun was squinting slightly at the door said man had left through. I chuckled.

"Not quite. I was an orphan. When they discovered I was a genius Watari came and adopted me. He's been more like a father to me than a 'grandfather'. And you shouldn't let him hear you talking about his age in such a way. He gets a little sensitive sometimes," I finished. Raito-kun had an odd look in his eyes. _If I'm not very much mistaken he's looking very fondly at me. Why? I haven't said anything odd. Is it just because I have spoken about my childhood? I'm sure he had guessed as much..._

"Is something wrong, Raito-kun?" I asked getting a little annoyed. _Surely when you're dating someone you should know them __**better, **__not have to struggle with the wider variety of emotions on display. _

Raito-kun smirked but it wasn't a bad one. Whenever we had fought in the past his smirks had been meant to hurt me but this one was different: this was a loving smirk if such a thing existed. _Am I reading too much into this? _I wondered as I looked up at the ceiling.

"What are we going to do about my father?" He asked. His playful smirked had disappeared and he was left with a tight frown which did not suit his youthful face.

"_We _are not going to do anything about it," I said, tersely sipping my coffee. Raito-kun looked at me in surprise. "_I _on the other hand am going to talk to him. You and Matsuda-san have received the short straw I'm afraid as all the other members are having a day off tomorrow. However if Yagami-san is as angry at me as you make it seem then he will come to me regardless. I am not moving hotel rooms till the day after so he can easily find me. When he does I will explain that we will act in a professional way while we're working and so will he. If he gets angry I'll merely tell him that what we do behind closed doors is our own business. As your father he does have the right to an argument with me but he won't get far. You are not a child, Raito-kun, and if I am your choice he cannot stop you." I took a calm sip. The way Raito-kun was looking at me I felt like I should have been standing on the table giving a powerful speech to the nation. _Is it really that amazing that I would say that to Yagami-san? He isn't a very violent or an angry man...but I suppose problems always look larger when you're at the centre of them._

"I couldn't ask you to do that for me Ryuzaki," he said, shaking his head.

"I know and you haven't asked me to but I will anyway. If Yagami-san has a problem with me I would prefer that he talked to _me _about it and not to you."

We shared a long look. _Whoever said the "eyes are the window to the soul" was a genius..._I thought. After a moment Raito-kun looked away, pursing his lips. _I think I'll get very familiar with that look in the future..._

"You can't fight my battles for me," he growled.

"There is no need for you to tell me that Raito-kun. After all you are a very independent boy. But you have done enough fighting today and tomorrow it will be my turn. Of course your father may have cooled down by tomorrow and realised how irrational he was behaving."

My lover snorted: a gesture that seemed attractive when he did it and yet always ended in disaster whenever I tried to. (1) Raito-kun crossed his arms and changed his position so he was sitting with one leg over the other. I thought it was a very prissy attitude for someone to take when they had been in tears not long ago. We sat in silence as I finished my marshmallows. The finicky boy next to me looked uninterestedly out of the window. _Would he like the TV on? _I wondered. I felt horrible dread at the thought of having to think of ways to entertain the teen beside me. I'd never had to worry about anyone else except for myself... _This is ridiculous...Raito-kun is a big boy now and he can entertain himself. If he gets bored he could do some schoolwork. _I knew that he wasn't foolish enough to want to go on frequent dates but he might get a little annoyed if we did nothing. _Maybe I could go to the university again... it would be nice to play tennis with him. _

I heard Raito-kun yawn to the side of me. The clock on the sideboard said it was 10:30. _Not very late for a University student but I suppose he has had a chaotic day._

"You have brought pyjamas, correct?" I nodded at the bag he had brought.

"Yeah."

"If you want to you may sleep over. The bedroom is through there." I gestured vaguely to a door near the kitchenette.

"Ok. Thanks," he stammered. Raito-kun stood up, clutching his bag. He tarried for a few seconds and I caught sight of his nervous smile. _He'll be lucky if he gets as much as a goodnight kiss acting in such a way. I never thought Raito-kun could act like a teenage girl. _I chastised myself for being so unfair. _He has had an emotionally draining day and we are 'boyfriends', even though I am clearly not a boy anymore, so it is not unreasonable to suspect such a thing._

"Goodnight Raito-kun," I said before standing up, taking his head in both my hands and placing a light kiss to his forehead. _There. And count yourself lucky..._I thought.

"Night," he replied, a silly smile on his face. _Honestly..._Despite my derision I couldn't help but smile fondly at the teen's retreating back.

_He should not have to worry about so much at such a young age, _I thought. _I'll take care of everything for him tomorrow._

***

Yagami-san's POV

When I knocked on Ryuzaki's hotel room I was immediately allowed in by Watari. I hurriedly said 'good morning' to him before storming over to the detective. I had had several points I wanted to argue with him but I was disarmed by the impatient look on his face. _Ryuzaki is never anything but stoic..._

"Yagami-san, I had thought you would come to see me today. Please take a seat." The thin man gestured at one of the chairs. I wanted to launch straight into my questioning but I knew I had to be calmer than when I dealt with Raito last night. _I should have been more understanding... _I thought. _But how could I have when he sprung it on us so suddenly? _I quietly took a seat.

"Is Raito here?" I asked looking around the room to see any signs of my son. Sachiko had been so worried about him. I felt guilt stir in the pit of my stomach but I ignored it. _I hadn't intentionally driven him away._

"No, he has already left for Shibuya with Matsuda-san. Raito-kun was under the impression you would have some questions for me," L said. He casually took a sip from his cup.

"Are you and Raito...dating?" It was quite the effort to say it. I did admire Ryuzaki despite his unorthodox methods but then I had the childish impulse to pick on his looks. _Raito is such a handsome boy...why would he be attracted to such an ape-like man?_

"Yes, if you use the term 'dating' loosely. We are not going out on 'dates', not until it is safe for me to go outside. But we are in an affectionate relationship," he answered. I briefly closed my eyes. _When did this happen?_

"Since when have you two been in this relationship?"

"Officially? Yesterday. But Raito-kun first showed his feelings quite some time ago. Before the Sakura TV incident."

"I see. Have you two..." I had meant to ask if they had...fulfilled their relationship yet but I could not bring myself to say it. _Raito had always been such a sweet boy. When did he start doing such grown up things? _But despite my apprehension Ryuzaki had grasped my meaning.

"Have we consummated our relationship yet? No, we haven't," he said without looking at me. I sighed. "But I do not see how that is your business."

"What?" I felt myself get angry and had to restrain myself. _I won't lose control like last night. _"He is my son; of course it is my business."

"Yagami-san, your son is over eighteen. He is an adult now and what he does out of your home is _not _your business. If he were any younger I would agree with you but not now. He can make his own decisions." Ryuzaki stabbed a strawberry cheesecake with his fork.

"I know he can. But-"

"So are you saying you're worried because you believe his decision will be the _wrong _one?" The unruffled man continued.

"No I'm not say-" Ryuzaki spoke quicker than I could.

"So you're worried because you do not understand his decisions even if they are the correct one for him? You're worried because you feel you are losing him," Ryuzaki said, taking a bite of his dessert. He seemed so matter-of-fact I wasn't sure how to react.

"Of course I'm worried about losing him. He's my little boy no matter how old he gets," I replied. I pushed my glasses further up the bridge of my nose.

"Do you not think that the way you treated him last night has pushed him further away than my relationship with him could ever have?" He fixed me with a sincere stare. _That's the worst thing about Ryuzaki. You could never hide anything from him._

"I know I was too harsh with him. I just hadn't expected...I want to apologise to him as soon as possible. But he won't answer his phone." Ryuzaki was examining a morsel of his cake seemingly uninterested in our conversation. I felt anger burn in me again. "I wouldn't expect you to realise what it is like to lose a loved one." I had meant for it to hurt but Ryuzaki answered back as if I had said 'good morning' to him.

"I do know what it is like to lose a loved one. However, the difference between out situations is I lost mine permanently. You will see Raito-kun almost every day for a long time. After the Kira case he may still want to be with me and may travel with me. I will arrange for a way for you to stay in contact if that time comes. But between then and now there is no need to fear for Raito-kun. I will protect him with the best of my abilities. I am very fond of him. And if you show an understanding for his feelings I am sure he will show an understanding of yours."

I wanted to stay angry. I wanted Ryuzaki to give me a reason to shout, to hurt him but the way he said such sensible advice I couldn't find it in me to object. I have admired most of Ryuzaki's decisions and this was not an exception. _It seems Ryuzaki understands my son better than I ever have. _I shook my head. _What have I been thinking? I had been angry at Raito-kun for not making his decision with me but he seems he had chosen correctly on his own. I have no need to worry about Ryuzaki. He is far too sensible to hurt my son._

_Is it Raito I am angry with or myself? If he had only spoken to me before now...no. If I had noticed before now I could have made things easier for him. I could have helped him. Instead of sulking, why don't I be there for him if he needs help in the future? _I smiled determinedly at Ryuzaki. The man in front of me would not have been my choice of son-in-law but he was one of the best I could expect.

"I understand, Ryuzaki," I said. The raven-haired man nodded once and walked over to the kitchenette to get more cheesecake. On the way he patted me gently on the shoulder.

"Good for you," he said in his emotionless voice.

***

Raito's POV

The trip to Shibuya had come and gone but no more evidence had come forward. All throughout the trip I had been thinking about my father and Ryuzaki. In fact, I was so deep in thought I had accidently agreed to carry Sayu's bags for her. But when I had gotten home my fears were unfounded. As soon as I stepped through the door my father apologised to reacting in such a bad way. I accepted his and offered my own even though I didn't want to. I thought it was expected of me.

I called Ryuzaki afterwards and thanked him but he replied "for what?" and hung up. I suppose that was one of his ways of being playful.

The next day we were all assembled into Ryuzaki's new hotel room. I was more than happy to have an excuse to show Ryuzaki how professional I could be when needed but the sickly striped furniture was back and it was a little distracting.

Aizawa and the others contented themselves about discussing how little evidence we had: Ryuzaki had explained about my suspicions. I asked if he was done viewing the tapes and he said he had seen Amane Misa talk to no-one suspicious but would like to view them all alone a second time to make sure.

But then Watari's voice emitted from his laptop. "Ryuzaki? Sakura TV has received another message from the Second Kira. The postmark was from the 23rd. I'll send you the tape through the computer before sending the real one to you." The screen cut out to the all too familiar Gothic-styled 'Kira'.

"**I was able to find Kira. People at the TV station, policemen, thank you all very much." **The message screen returned to its usual 'L'.

"'Found him'? This is bad!" Matsuda shouted.

"So Kira and the Second Kira have joined forces..." my father said. _No, that's not right. _I thought but Ryuzaki beat me to it.

"I do not believe they have joined forces. If they had the Second Kira would say something like that not like he has 'found him'. That doesn't make sense." Ryuzaki stirred his sugar sludge with a spoon.

"But where did he find him?" Aizawa asked.

"It must have been at Aoyama! The postmark was for the 23rd and the trip to Aoyama was the only date before then. But Raito-kun and I didn't see anyone holding notebooks..." Matsuda furrowed his brow.

"We cannot be sure that they met in Aoyama," I said.

"I agree with Raito-kun," Ryuzaki said taking a sip of his coffee. "We should not make that assumption with absolutely no evidence. But for now the police will have to send out a message directly to the Second Kira. We will have the police offer the Second Kira immunity if he comes forward with information on the real Kira."

"But, Ryuzaki, he's killed eight people that we know of...we can't just let him go free," my father said. I was glad to see that he hadn't retained any sort of grudge toward my boyfriend. I mentally shook myself to stay on track.

"Then we'll remain vague on how lenient we can really be. Perhaps we could say something along the lines of 'you will be treated as a hero and the police will not come after you'. I want this aired as soon as possible. It is 7:25 PM right now I want it to be broadcast at 8:55 PM on every channel."

"I understand," my father said and we all began the construction of the message.

***

Mikami's POV

An uncomfortable silence reigned over my room only broken by Ryuk's occasional **Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk. **B was quickly eating his way through a jam jar. I felt sicker and sicker as each morsel disappeared into his pale mouth. _How can anyone be so repulsive? _The thought of him in my apartment made my skin crawl.

After leaving Note Blue he had taken me to an empty house. I decided he was a squatter because the neat and bright decorations did not suit his personality at all. Our meeting kept on repeating itself over and over again in my head.

_We settled into the cosy living room but the atmosphere did nothing for my mood. I was highly aware I was trapped in a house with a man who had a carving knife of the coffee table. I had a scrap of the Death Note in my wallet but I did not know his name and Ryuk was being as helpful as usual. And even if I did know his real name 40 seconds is a long time...I was sure he could do an awful lot in those few seconds. _

_He saw me looking at the knife and smiled that odd half-smile. "Just a precaution," he said before settling down on the white leather sofa. _

"_What did you want to talk about?" Came my terse reply._

"_You are Kira," he stated simply and quite happily. I felt myself freeze._

"_I-," I began to deny it but he cut me off._

"_There's no point coming up with some sort of a half backed excuse. Your conduct earlier clearly shows your guilt. And I can't be mistaken because I can see your name but not your lifespan." He pointed an accusing finger at the space above my head._

"_Y-you're the Second Kira?" I stammered. He made an undignified snort. _

"_You really think I'm that stupid? No I am not the Second Kira."_

"_Then you're a third Kira?" Despite myself I felt excitement bubble in me. The Second Kira seemed too stupid to use, it would be for the best if I disposed of him as quickly as possible, but this man seemed halfway decent intelligence wise. _If he helps me then there's no way L could beat us, not when he has the Shinigami eyes. _"Let me see your Shinigami and I'll show you mine," I said._

"_Shinigami?" He asked. Ryuk laughed loudly behind me._

"_Yeah..." I trailed off as a wide smile stretched across B's face._

"_So Shinigami exist?" He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, that evil smile still on his face. "It seems you really need some help. You should have waited till I confirmed I was really a Kira." I gulped._

"_You're not?"_

"_Nope." He giggled. I felt my mouth go dry. _Dammit! I need to be more careful with this guy otherwise I could get into some serious trouble.

"_What do you want?" I said, sounding braver than I felt._

"_I want to exchange information."_

"_Why?"_

"_I have my reasons." He stopped but at my raised eyebrow he said, "I need to find this Ryuuga. But I'm also very curious about the Kiras..."_

"_Ok. If we're exchanging information let's start now. How come you have the Shinigami eyes without being a Kira? Don't you have a Death Note?" B asked me if he could see this 'Death Note' and I described it to him as I did not have mine on me. I explained the rules and he nodded uninterestedly. I reminded him of my question._

"_I was born being able to see people's lifespan and name. I knew you were odd when I couldn't see your lifespan." I felt hope grow in my chest._

"_Did you see anyone else like me in Aoyama?" _If he saw the Second Kira and told me their name then I could dispose of them, _I thought but B hadn't had such luck. _

_We spoke for a long time and afterwards I decided B was too useful to be kept out of sight._ Now that he knows I am Kira he is too dangerous. I don't know his name so I can't threaten him...it would be for the best if I stayed on his good side. If we could work together he would be a great tool. He'd be a defenceless Kira. Of course he could always go to the cops but by looking at him I wouldn't be surprised if he had a track record.

_So I had decided to let him stay with me in my apartment. It was the safest place for him but it was hell for me. _How could somebody be so untidy?????

B's voice brought me back to the present.

"Have you been watching the news recently?" He asked as he scooped out the last of the jam.

"I've tried but I've been too busy trying to find the Second Kira recently."

"Oh dear..." he said, his voice filled with false concern. "That's a little silly. You'd be amazed what you'd learn about people if you watched the news more often." His eyes flickered to mine and then back to his jar.

_What's that supposed to mean, _I thought. I was tempted to carry on glaring at him in silence but decided to follow his advice. I turned on the news just in time to hear the reporter finish talking about a boy who was raped. I memorised the name of the supposed rapist but knew I had to wait till there was proof.

A handsome reporter came on screen. "Good evening, I am your anchorman Kimura Takeshi. The police have sent us an important message to the Second Kira."

I turned to face the TV full on where the reporter was going through the usual 'this is real, honest' routine. Even B had turned from his precious jar to watch the screen. The message began.

"This is an appeal to the Second Kira. You have said you have 'found' the real Kira but if he does not know who you are yet then it is not too late. You must not approach Kira out of curiosity. If you do you will only be used and killed. What you have to do know is think of the sanctity of life and atone for your sins! If you decide to do this, turn yourself in. You will be treated as a hero and the police will not come after you later if you also give us any information on who the real Kira is. You do this and you will save the world from the terror of Kira..."

The message cut out and I was left staring at the TV screen.

"Oh my..." B said looking very excited. "How tragic," another giggle escaped him. "I wonder how the Second Kira will react."

***

Raito's POV

It was 10:30 and I was lying on my bed reading manga. The book was called 'Kuroshitsuji' (2) and Sayu had recommended it to me. So far it had included many bishounen and an odd plot that constantly swung from the serious to the bizarre. It was ok, but it wasn't the best of distractions. I kept on thinking about Ryuzaki. It was odd...I had only seen him an hour or so ago but I already missed him. _I hope I'm not turning into a love sick puppy. Shouldn't I be worried about the Kira case or something important? _But I knew I couldn't be bothered to be worried. Yes, I was scared that Kira might kill me, father or L and yes, I was angry that so many had already died and will still die but it was difficult to feel so frightened when Ryuzaki was in control. _I wonder if I'll ever be able to make such quick decisions as he did today... _

"Nii-san?" Sayu called form downstairs. "Your friend has brought your notebook over!"

_Notebook? _I thought as I left my room. _I haven't lost any of my notebooks... _my thoughts trailed off as I saw _her_ by the door.

"Raito-kun?" Amane Misa said as she stepped into my house.

* * *

Ooooooh! A cliff hanger! Anyone who has read the manga all the way through would know that would happen but still! Ooooooh! How will Raito-kun react to Misa in his house?? You'll have to wait I'm afraid!

(1) Does that happen to anyone else? Any time I try to snort in derision and be all high and mighty I always sound like a pig...

(2) It is an awesome manga!! You can find the manga and the anime online if you want to have a look. You haven't lived until you have experienced Sebastian's gorgeousness.

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow so I will not be updating for at least a month. Sorry for the wait till the next chapter! I just want to take this space to say something **REALLY IMPORTANT!!!! **

I want to say thank you for the people who have taken their time to read my silly fanfic. I do not think my writing is very good but each review I have received has contained praise and advice and each hit my story has had has filled me with confidence. I can't believe the amount of people who have reviewed saying that my characterisation of Raito-kun was 'perceptive' and that my L was 'spot on'. I tend to just write whatever is in my head and I am surprised no one has taken umbrage at any of my plot. The amount of encouragement I have received has made me a little nervous about continuing this story: I'd hate not to fulfil people's expectations.

But despite my horrible writing _Unintentional Love _will continue!! I will carry on making Beyond Birthday be awesome and I _will _make L and Raito-kun have sex!!!!! I promise you that!!!

So, till next time...

Yours faithfully,

_Snupin._


	14. Pick Pocket

Hello children!! I AM SO HAPPY!! I COMPLETED NANOWRIMO!!! WOOO! I still can't believe that I have written over 50,000 words in one month! The story isn't quite finished yet and so I will still be working on that but at a more leisurely pace. To celebrate I have written the next chapter of Unintentional Love! Yay!

It was really odd writing Fanfiction again… I felt like I had lost my touch (If I ever had one to begin with) and I'm sorry if it's a little awkward at the start.

As Christmas approaches I will be able to update a bit more, hopefully once a week, but if I can't don't hold it against me as I do have GCSE mocks in January which I need to revise for.

**WARNING: **I didn't have time to send this to my beta because I was all excited and wanted to post it straight away so I apologise for any mistakes I couldn't spot myself.

I hope you like this next chapter!

* * *

"Nii-san?" Sayu called from downstairs. "Your friend has brought your notebook over!"

_Notebook? _I thought as I left my room. _I haven't lost any of my notebooks... _my thoughts trailed off as I saw _her_ by the door.

"Raito-kun?" Amane Misa said as she stepped into my house.

I froze as I saw the blonde girl bow deeply at my mother and me. _What is she doing here? _I thought. _Dammit, if anything would rise Ryuzaki's suspicion of me it would be if the Second Kira randomly walked into my home for a chat. _

"This notebook," she said, shyly holding out a black notebook with bent edges. There was no way in hell that was mine but I invited her up to my room anyway without accepting it. I was also conscious of my sister's and my mother's worried faces.

"You're inviting me up to your room? Oh, ok!" Her face lit up.

"Ka-chan? Can you make some tea?" My mother unfroze and nodded her head shakily. As I led Amane up to my room I heard Sayu stage whisper to my mum.

"I didn't think Nii-san had an actual girlfriend. She has nice underwear though…"

"Of course she isn't your brother's girlfriend and that's not funny or polite, Sayu!"

Amane looked interestedly around my room and I motioned for her to sit in my office chair and I sat opposite her on my low bed. She drank up the room as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. I didn't understand her interest; even I wasn't _that_ fond of my room.

I waited for her to focus on me, pushing down the urge to snap my fingers in her face. Once she did turn to face me I composed my face into an easy-going smile. "Why have you come here again?"

The blond girl offered the notebook to me again.

"Umm, that's not my notebook. I don't recognise it… maybe you've got the wrong person?" I asked, hoping it was the latter. _What's up with her?_

Amane shook her head furiously, her blond hair bouncing around her head. "You don't understand! Please," she said holding the book out to me again.

I gingerly took it from her. _Has she lost it or something? What's up with the odd behaviour? _She was looking at me hopefully and I examine the notebook. There wasn't anything particularly special. It was quite thin with a black cover and white foreign symbols were etched into the cover. I flipped open to the first page and stopped at what I saw.

_Sato Jun, Sasaki Kaito, Ohayashi Ryuu, Yamada Touta, ,Mada Tatsuya, Wada Yuu, Kamida Daiki, Takaki, Akira, Ojimi Chika, Hara Kuro, James Tucker, Sakei Hiroshi, Jessica Duncan, Gabriel Poe._

A shadow fell across the paper and I looked up. A bleached white skeleton hung in the air before me and I recoiled in shock. The instinct to run thrilled through my veins, my heart beat faster and I felt hot all over.

Amane-san was up in a second. "It's ok!" She screamed. I stared at her dumbly with her arms stretched out towards me as if to catch me.

"What?" I whispered. My eyes flickered back to the monster floating in the corner of my room, sweaty hands clutching the notebook. _This is not happening… _

"Her name is Rem and I promise she won't hurt you," Amane-san continued to babble and all the while my eyes never left 'Rem's' disgusting face.

"Raito-kun?" Amane-san said as she crossed her arms over her expansive chest and pouted at me. I turned my head to face the blond, my eyes only leaving Rem's at the very last second.

"Misa-san?" I asked. I dumbly closed my mouth realising for the first time that I had been acting like an idiot. I had expected for Rem to somehow attack me as soon as she revealed herself like monsters do in horror films but she only stood in the corner uninterestedly watching the conversation or peeking out the window. My brain quickly snapped back into place and I frowned at Amane-san, shifting slightly on the bed. "You're the Second Kira," I stated.

Her blue eyes widened. "Yes. I saw the broadcast on TV and…" tears spilled out onto her cheeks and I mentally rolled my eyes.

"So you've decided that what you've been doing is wrong?" I knew I should have been more friendly, more surprised, to make sure that she didn't somehow kill me but I simply could not believe that she had the audacity to take people's lives and then cry about it.

She nodded her bowed head and sniffled. "So why did you not go to the police like they said?" Amane-san sat straight and looked at me with intense eyes. I was surprised by such a quick change but schooled my expression.

"How can I trust them?" She said vehemently. "How can I trust them after they failed…" Her anger gave way and she sank to the floor. I raised an eyebrow.

"Failed…?"

"A burglar killed my parents and the police delayed his trial over and over and everyone thought he would get off Scott free! How could they do that? People said I should have forgiven him for killing my parents. Why should I? He _killed _then, he took them away! And then-" Hope entered into her eyes and I was glad she wasn't so hysterical anymore. "then Kira-sama killed him for me. Kira-sama knew that I was hurting and he made me better."

I looked down at my hands still holding the notebook to try and mask my disgust. Was I supposed to feel sorry for her? I guess I did a little: no one should have to lose their parents so young _but what she did was disgusting!_ I told myself. And yet… if that happened to me would I kill in revenge? I doubted it but I could see where she was coming from.

"Misa-san," I said before kneeling down to envelope her in a hug. _Best thing to do is stay on her good side to get some information. _I glanced over at my mobile phone cursing that I didn't have it in my pocket where I could casually turn the recording device on. I glanced at Rem and decided it was best not to risk it now.

"Raito-kun?" She squeaked.

"I understand Misa-san… you were hurting and the man that caused you such pain was punished by Kira. Is that why you decided to help him?" Amane-san nodded into my neck. "I see…" I gently pulled her back up into my chair and offered her a tissue. She took one gratefully.

"If you're so grateful to Kira then why are you admitting all this to me?" I settled back down on my bed, trying to ignore Rem who had moved closer to the conversation.

"Punishing criminals feels right; I'm helping Kira-sama this way, but I know that it is wrong. It's wrong to kill people and I'm scared. I don't want to get caught, I don't want to die! But I can't trust the police… so I came to you, Raito-kun." Here she turned to look at me with hope filled eyes. "You were so kind to me before and I know that you'd help me. And I was right," she said looking down at the tissue and blushing lightly.

_Honestly, what is up with this girl? Can't she tell that I'm just faking? _I pitied the girl the next time she met a sleazy actor… I supposed that she wouldn't have to worry about that considering what L was planning for her…

"Well, Misa-san you really should have gone to the police." She looked up at my stern expression as if she couldn't believe it.

"But!"

"Misa-san! You have taken people's lives! You deserve any punishment they give you, consider yourself extremely lucky that they're letting you go freely if you give them information on Kira."

"Don't say that!" She whined getting dangerously close to tears. Again. My patience wearing thin I stood up in front of her and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Misa-san," she looked up at my gentler tone. "What you have done is very wrong but you're trying to fix it, right?" I smiled encouragingly at her and I was glad to see her take the bet.

"Yes! I knew you'd understand!" She moved forward and took my hands in hers.

"As it happens my father is a member of the police and I've been helping him on the Kira case."

I saw her eyes light up. "Really? Wow!"

"So coming to me is like going to the police. If you tell me everything then I can pass it on." Amane-san nodded thankfully and over the next hour she explained everything to me.

She explained that if you had someone's face in your mind's eye and wrote their name down in the notebook- called the Death Note- then they would die in 40 seconds of a heart attack but only if you either specified a heart attack or didn't write down another method of death.

"You can't be serious?" I said more to myself than Amane-san. I held the Death Note in my hands and stared down at it. _To think that something so small and insignificant could cause such a catastrophe. _

Amane-san nodded. I had stolen Sayu's rarely used office chair and pulled it up next to mine at my desk. The blond girl next to me looked at me and blushed deeply. I did my best to ignore her.

Amane-san next explained to me about shinigami and that the notebook we were looking at once belonged to a shinigami called Jealous that died to save her, apparently it was horribly romantic. After explaining about shinigami and the way to kill them (I was a little nervous about that topic in front of Rem but she didn't seem to mind) Rem moved forward and properly introduced herself.

"Yagami Raito," she said extending her large hands. _Like hell am I going to shake her hand…_

"Hi," I said giving her a charming smile. The shinigami blinked at me and I looked back at Amana-san who was giggling.

"Do you want to know about the Eye trade?" I blinked at her and she told me that shinigami could see a human's names and life span above their head and would make the Eye trade with the humans who they were attached to. Worryingly enough I had to tell her to explain it in more depth.

If you gave a shinigami half of your remaining lifespan then they would give you the ability to see other people's names and lifespan but you couldn't see your own lifespan and neither could you see the lifespan of other Death Note owners whether they had made the Eye trade or not. "I don't think that Kira has made the Eye trade himself, though."

"I see…" I covered my chin with my hand. _So that means that if she saw L she could see his name… what about the times we had gone out together at the University? I had met Amane-san at the same café that I took Ryuzaki… is he in danger? I suppose no one would really guess that he was L just by looking at him but still…_

"Can you see people's names and lifespan from photos? Even if it is from the past?"

"Uh-huh," she said seemingly happy to help. _Thank God Kira and Amane-san never met up. It would have been a disaster if she became his Eyes. _A small part of me registered the irony of Misa becoming Kira's Eyes and me being L's eyes. _I suppose this is just a big fight between L and Kira… _Some part of me hated being in such a passive position but if I could help Ryuzaki I would.

"So what about the tapes? How have you been sending them?" Amane-san launched into another explanation. She said that the fingerprints were her friends who she managed to convince the tapes were occult videos and she sent them from a variety of places. I was surprised that she had actually put some thought into her plans.

"Anything else, Raito-kun?" Amane-san had been playing with one of my pens and I wanted to yell at her to not seem so at ease.

"Who is the real Kira?" I asked. She looked down at her lap and I sighed. "Misa-san I can't tell this to the police without knowing who the real Kira is!"

"But what if-"

"No, I'm sorry, there isn't any 'what if's'! You've committed a serious crime I need to know." The blonde girl semi-cowered under my harsh glare and I sighed. "The police said they would let you go free if you told them everything about Kira. Why don't I call them now and have them deal with you?" I said my famous cool finally breaking. _I can't stand her anymore!! She believes that she is being let off and yet she still can't be humble enough to reveal everything. She says she feels sorry but she can't tell me who the real Kira is? _

"Yagami Raito," Rem said. I shivered lightly as she flew closer, her white bones creaking as she moved.

"Yes," I tersely replied. _I am no in the mood to be dealing with silly blonde girls and annoying bloody Halloween decorations._

"If you threaten Misa once more I will kill you." I blinked in surprise, my anger quickly deflating.

"Rem! You can't kill Raito-kun!" The shinigami looked confusedly at the blonde girl beside me and I stared much the same. "He's only trying to help so don't kill him, ok? I'd be very upset if you did!" Rem looked away seeming annoyed but it was impossible for me to read the unfamiliar features well enough to gauge her true emotions.

"Misa-san," I said turning to the girl next to me. She smiled at me sadly.

"I'm sorry, Raito-kun. I know I said I'd tell you everything but I can't tell you that. No matter what I'm doing I can't betray Kira-sama. I love him," she said blushing down at her hands which were clasped into her lap.

"Fine," I said pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine," I repeated she shyly looked at me from under my hand. _I have to be careful so that Rem doesn't kill me. _I could see her Death Note swing at her side and I knew she wouldn't hesitate to take my life. Ryuzaki wouldn't even know why I had died… And with the information Amane-san had told me I couldn't get myself killed now.

"Raito-ku-"

"Raito, can I come in?"

"Hang on, Ka-chan!" I spun around to Amane-san.

"Don't worry she won't be able to see Rem." I nodded.

"Come in." My mother opened the door and looked in worriedly.

"Raito-kun it's 11:30 the trains will stop running soon…" I turned to Amane-san.

"Ok, we'll be down soon." My mother left us and I grasped the blonde's shoulders.

"Ok, Misa-san, I want you to go home now. You couldn't tell me Kira's name so the police might come to ask you a few questions but if you-"

"What? Raito-kun they can't! They'll kill me," she said clinging to the front of my shirt. _Jesus Christ… _I thought. _Sorry Ryuzaki…_

Our lips met with more force than I had intended and every fibre of my being screamed at me to pull away, push her out of the room and scrub my mouth with wire wool. Instead I gently pulled back our lips making a light 'chu' noise as we did so. Amane-san looked at me with a dazed expression.

"Go home ok? I'll take care of everything."

"Ok… Raito-kun…" she said, her eyes unfocused. I escorted her downstairs and out of my house. My mother told me to take her to the train station but Amane-san, still dazed from the kiss, assured her that she would be fine on her own. As she screamed goodbye at me I sincerely hoped that the kiss was enough to keep her out of trouble for a few days till Ryuzaki made his move.

***

_The next day…_

"And she refused to tell you the name of the real Kira?" Ryuzaki asked me for the hundredth time. The night before I had rung Ryuzaki and explained what had happened but he told me that it was too dangerous for us to talk over the phone and, considering my heavy work load (he must think I've been given a new thesis to write everyday) he had told me to talk to him in the morning. I woke up at six, even though it killed me, and sped out to the hotel, leaving a note for my mother who was now used to my early departures. We were sitting in the living room of Ryuzaki's generic hotels after I had explained, conveniently leaving out the kiss.

"No, she didn't. She said that she owed him too much to rat him out, or something," I replied waspishly watching as Ryuzaki abused a lollipop in a way that made it almost impossible to concentrate. "Ryuzaki if I didn't know better I would have thought that you weren't taking this seriously."

However, rather than be insulted he stood up excitedly and began to pace. I had never seen him so full of energy and so found it incredibly amusing and cute when he whipped around to face me, his index finger pointing up like Sherlock Holmes. "Thanks to you, Raito-kun, we now have a prime suspect for the Second Kira! It is a pity that you could not record the conversation but your testimony is enough to warrant a search of her home and to question her. And from her we can find out who Kira is and finally end this. Raito-kun!" I jumped as he looked at me fiercely.

"Yes?"

"Well done. Your work has brought together this case very nicely." The praise brought a foolish warmth to my face and I took Ryuzaki's offered hand. But instead of shaking his hand I pulled him close and stole a quick chaste kiss.

My lover raised an eyebrow at me. "If I didn't know any better, Raito-kun, I'd say you weren't taking this seriously." He popped his lollipop back into his mouth causing one cheek to bulge out like a hamster's. I couldn't help but laugh. "I suppose you did deserve it though."

He sat down next to me on the sofa and I turned to face him. Ryuzaki smiled to himself. "Everything is coming together with impeccable timing." I raised an eyebrow.

"Ryuzaki?" He seemed to notice that I was still there and stood up.

"Raito-kun! You must go home, take the day off; I have a few things to arrange."

"I do have to go to University after lunch but can't I help you until then?"

"No Raito-kun," he shook his head seriously at me. "You must go have fun, contact your friends if you must." Ryuzaki sounded like he was sentencing someone to a lifetime in prison rather than recommending a fun half-day break.

"But-"

"No buts! It's not healthy for a boy your age to be cooped up inside," Ryuzaki said as he shooed me out the door. I caught the door frame in my hand and pushed my way back into the room.

"If it's so unhealthy then why don't you come with me?" Ryuzaki's energy seemed to seep out of him and I immediately regretted my words.

"I'm afraid I can't Raito-kun." His thumb made its way to his mouth and he looked up at the ceiling. "But I believe that I may be able to join you very soon." He smiled at me but it was a little forced, it wasn't the perfect half-moon smile that I loved so much but it was good enough. I returned his smile and stole another quick kiss, this time on the cheek.

"Ok then, call me if there's any developments." He nodded and waved me away still staring at the ceiling. I left him to his thoughts.

***

"Should we go get something to eat?"

I turned to Takada who was walking beside me and nodded. I had asked her out sometime ago but because of my recent infatuation with Ryuzaki I decided to gently let her down. She had been absolutely furious and I couldn't see any connection between the banshee she became and the 'refined Takada' she was meant to be. She was the first girl I had been afraid of since my mother had lost any ability to actually punishing me affectively. However, once she had calmed down from her fit and I had recovered from her well aimed book we had talked it over and we decided to stay friends. The only times that our friendship was truly tested was when I couldn't hang out with her because I was working with Ryuzaki (although she didn't know who I was with) or when the other ignorant University students complained about us being together.

Together we walked down the shaded path outside our University and I smiled into the light breeze. It was times like this when I could close my eyes and pretend that Kira was only a bad dream. The only thing that would perfect this moment would be if Ryuzaki was there.

"Hey, that weird guys waving at you. Where have I seen him before?" I felt Takada tug on my sleeve and I opened my eyes to see Ryuzaki waving at me from behind a book. He was sitting in his usual way on a bench under the shade of a thin tree attracting plenty of attention. _Bloody hell, he's going to get himself killed!_

"Hey, Ryuga-kun," I said before tuning to Takada. "I'd like to talk to him in private for a while; can I catch up with you later?"

"U-uh sure," she said before walking off not bothering to look back. I knew I'd be in for it later but that didn't matter for the moment.

"Hello Raito-kun."

"What on earth are you doing here?" Ryuzaki blinked at my angry tone.

"I am following your advice. I decided that I had some time free and so came to see you. Was I interrupting?" His thumb made it into his mouth again and he leaned around me to look in the direction that Takada had walked of in.

"Of course you weren't I'm just…worried about you that's all." Ryuzaki blinked at me before smiling his cute half-moon smile.

"There is no need to worry Raito-kun. I have calculated that there is a 13% that anything will happen to me."

"Ok…" I said unconvinced. Why would he come out now? This is the guy that set up cameras in my house because there was a 5% chance that I was Kira, now he's risking his life on a 87% chance of coming back safely. He definitely had something planned.

"What are you up to?" I asked narrowing my eyes.

"What makes you think I'd be 'up to' something?" He asked me, the perfect picture of innocence.

"Look, Ryuga-kun, you know I hate being kept out of the loop so what's going on?" I got closer to Ryuzaki and whispered so no one would overhear us. Ryuzaki gave me a mischievous smile.

"I was hoping we could go get something to eat. After all you have done splendidly well yesterday and, as I understand it, when two people decide to 'date' they often go outside with one another. I won't be able to as often as you would like so I thought we should take this opportunity."

I openly gaped at Ryuzaki. _He's risked his life so we could go out on a date? _Foolish affection welled up inside of me. Half of me want to hit him for being so careless but the other half of me want to pull him into a strong hug.

"Ok, Ryuzaki."

"Do you have anymore lectures today?"

"Yeah, one more in about," I checked my watch. "45 minutes."

"It would be silly of us to rush our date so why don't we begin it after your lecture? It would be nice if I could join you for the lecture as well, University is fun as long as you don't die. In the mean time I was thinking of going to the cafeteria." I smiled at him. _Absolutely typical…_

"Sure, but we need to be quick before it's all gone." Ryuzaki began to speed up but I slowed him down a little. "And don't even think about trying to eat in the lecture hall again, Asahi-san was furious last time!" Ryuzaki and I chuckled at the memory of the usually calm elderly man turning red in the face as he told Ryuzaki to leave and never come back after he had whipped out a bag of marshmallows during the lecture. The detective's excuse was that at least they were quiet to eat. I thought the detective would have been upset and I found him a few hallways away. He had rolled into a ball and I thought he was crying but he was laughing so hard tears formed at the corner of his wide eyes. It was the first time I had seen L laugh and, even though I was shouted at for being associated with such a 'twit', it was one of the best days of my life.

However, that day was long past and it seems that Fate had worse things in stall for us.

***

Mikami's POV

"**Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk! Looks like they're getting pretty chummy!" **I glared at the shinigami behind me. I was sitting on one of the many benches littered around the campus, watching my love interest from a far. I had been watching his and Ryuga-_kun's _exchange with a stiff mouth and I, without turning my head, spoke to the bush behind my bench.

"Are you finished yet, B? I want to get home and write his name in the Death Note," I ground out after making sure no one would notice I was talking to a bush. B's dark owl eyes peeped out at me through the leaves and I heard him chuckle.

"They look quite happy together don't they?" He asked his voice thoughtful. I could see he had his thumb in his mouth, the ruddy antisocial…

I turned back to the couple as they got smaller and smaller. Even though I hated to admit it they did look a little good together… I shook my head.

"Come on, B, if you're ready let's go home."

"But I wanted to spy on them some more…" the odd man whined and I rolled my eyes.

"I'll buy some more jam on the way home." B crashed through the bush startling a female student as she walked past. The other man was covered in scratches and had a twig in his hair. I looked around and realised people had begun to look. _Why did he need to hide in a bush anyway? _No, I had not forced him to hide in the bush instead he did it because he wanted to.

"Jam?" He said, tugging on my sleeve.

"**Can we get some apples as well?" **I looked between my two 'house mates' and sighed. What had I gotten myself in to? Being Kira was almost not worth this torture. Almost.

I turned to go when a scream reached my ears.

"RAITOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

***

Raito-kun's POV

"RAITOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" I whipped around to face Amane Misa who bowled straight into me. She squeezed me tightly and rubbed her face into my shirt. Ryuzaki raised an eyebrow at me and I sent him a look which said, _later. _I managed to detach myself from the blonde leach.

"I had a photo shoot nearby and so I thought I'd come and see you!" She said in her usual bubbly voice. It grated against my nerves and I yearned for a quiet place with Ryuzaki where I could listen to his deep calm voice. Ryuzaki had come to a stop and stood beside me. I looked them both up and down and had the odd urge to laugh. They looked like complete opposites, Amane-san all fashion and Ryuzaki in comfortable clothes, but inside they were even more different, Ryuzaki the best if not a little unorthodox detective in the world and Amane-san who had the mental capacity of ten year old.

"Is this one of your friends, Raito-kun? He looks so odd…unique! Hello I am Amane Misa, Raito-kun's girlfriend." _When did she decide that??_

Ryuzaki looked at Amane-san's proffered hand and took it with his thumb and index finger. "Ryuga Hideaki," he said.

"Huh? Ryuga Hideaki?" Amane-san turned dumbly to me and I took her shoulders and pushed her a few steps back as if that would protect L from her Eyes.

"Yeah, it's odd isn't it? My _best friend _having the same name as the singer, huh?" Amane-san's eyes widened and, even though it wasn't terribly subtle, it was perfect for her.

"Raito-kun?" I turned to look at my best friend. "I am so jealous. Why didn't you tell me you knew Misa Misa?" I blinked at him. _What the hell is he going on about?_

Ryuzaki turned back to Amane-san. "I've been a big fan of yours ever since the March issue of 'Eighteen'."

"Really?!" Amane-san clapped her hands together. "I'm so happy!" She squealed.

"What?" _He can't be serious._

"Hey look, it's Misa Misa!" A boy said which set off a group of girls.

"WHAT?? Where? OMG It's Misa Misa!" One black haired girl with glasses screamed pointing out Amane-san to her friend. A group of teenagers materialised out of nowhere and surrounded us. _Dammit, this is bad…_

Ryuzaki leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear, "I'm you're best friend, Raito-kun?" At my nod he smiled cheekily. "You flatter me." I rolled my eyes. Only Ryuzaki could see the humour in such a situation. I leaned closer to him and whispered back.

"There's nothing going on between us it's just-"

"You had to use some coercion that you failed to mention to me before?" I nodded and he smiled. "That's fine Raito-kun. I would have preferred it if you didn't have to but if it helps with the investigation then I understand." I breathed a little easier.

"Wow, she's so small and cute!"

"Adorable!"

"Wow! I'm getting so popular!" Amane-san clapped her hands in delight again.

"Man… I wish I could date someone like here…"

"Like _anyone _would date you, Imai." The crowd grew bigger and bigger and I wondered if we would get to our lecture on time let alone getting something to eat first; it might take us 45 minutes just to break through the throng of squealing teenagers.

"AAH! Someone touched my but!" I looked back to where Amana-san was blushing and Ryuzaki was looking angry.

"How imprudent! I shall catch the scoundrel who would take advantage of such a situation!" Amane-san giggled into her hand.

"Can I touch it too…?"

"This is why I don't want to be seen with you."

A serious looking black haired women broke through the crowd and grasped the blonde modal by the wrist.

"Misa we need to go now! Do you want to be late again?"

"Oh, sorry Yoshi. By Raito-kun! Goodbye Ryuga-kun it was great meeting you!" She said before she was hauled off by Yoshi. The crowed dispersed as soon as the entertainment was gone.

"Well, that was random…" I said. I spotted Mikami walk off but as he was farther than the rest I doubted he had been in the crowed. I hadn't had the chance to talk to him since the incident in Aoyama. He was with a man who I was sure I didn't know but he seemed familiar. Maybe it was because he was wearing a white shirt and jeans… I turned to Ryuzaki to point out a possible twin separated at birth but was distracted by his proud mischievous smile. His back was a little straighter than usual and he had a healthy glint in his eye.

"What's gotten you so happy?" _Maybe it's because we can go get the cake now…?_

Ryuzaki only shook his head and carried on walking. _Fine if that's the way you want to play it… _I replayed the scene over in my head, evaluating all the things that would have given Ryuzaki such pleasure before I knew I hit the right one. I pulled out my mobile phone and entered Amane-san's number which she had given to me the night before. I only had to wait about a second before some rock song began to emanate from Ryuzaki's pocket. He looked down in surprise before pulling out a pink phone with a small doll attached to it.

"Hello?" He said to me through the phone.

"What do you mean 'hello'?" I asked feeling very proud of myself. Ryuzaki continued to talk to me through the phone even though I was only a few feet from him.

"May I ask who is calling?" I had to fight down the urge to laugh.

"You stole that from Amane-san!" I gasped in fake horror. "Thief!" I pointed at him. Ryuzaki finally turned around his eyes wide and he hung his head in fake guilt. This time a laugh bubbled up and I couldn't hold it back. "You have no idea how ridiculous you look," I said before hanging up.

"You've just gone and wasted some of your credit, Raito-kun." He asked and I laughed again. Ryuzaki joined me this time, his eyes shut and his mouth in that beautiful smile. I loved his laugh. "Ah, Raito-kun we really shouldn't be laughing like this. She is the Second Kira after all."

I sobered up as best as possible and quickly checked that no one had noticed what Ryuzaki had said. It was a foolish exercise: he wouldn't have said it if he thought we would be overheard, but it was a good habit to get into.

"How did you know I stole her phone?" Ryuzaki asked me.

"Well, she had come here and blatantly stood all over you, claiming a weird possession over me and generally took over our conversation. I knew you would want to get her back in a way that would also show off your skill."

"I used to be better at it, it seems I've gotten a little rusty," he said smiling shyly.

"How do you of all people know how to pick pockets anyway?"

"It only makes sense that to identify an act easily you should familiarise yourself with the process of said act, yes?" Ryuzaki began to walk off and I caught up with him. He still had a soft smile on his lips and I felt elated. The danger of Amane-san was over and I was going to go on a date with Ryuzaki. I never felt better.

That was until Ryuzaki's phone rang.

"It seems it's mine this time," he said pulling out a blue mobile from his pocket and flipped it open holding it between his index finger and his thumb.

"So you did it? Yes… yes understood," Ryuzaki turned to me with a sorrowful expression on his face. "I'm afraid I'll have to skip our date Raito-kun."

"Why?"

"The plan has had to be put in affect quicker than I had thought. Amane Misa has been apprehended under the suspicion of being the Second Kira. If your next lecture isn't too important then I would appreciate it if you came with me back to my hotel but if not…?"

I shook my head at Ryuzaki. _How can he be thinking of things like lectures at a time like this? _"It's fine. Takada is in the same lecture as me; I'll call her and get her to take notes for me."

My boyfriend nodded. He called Watari to come pick us up and while we were waiting he turned to me, his back hunched once more. "I really am sorry for missing out on our date, Raito-kun." I waved away his apologies.

"Don't worry about it, Ryuga-kun, I'll just have to get some cake and coffee and we can have our date in the hotel, once everything is sorted out." Ryuzaki smiled up at me.

Watari pulled up in Ryuzaki's Bentley, we got in the back seat and together we drove off towards Ryuzaki's hotel.

* * *

Phew! I hope you liked it! The next chapter should be done next weekend. I'd love to ehar what you thought so don't forget to review!


	15. My Paranoid Angel

Hello children! Well, here's another chapter up and ready! I'm quite proud of it (considering it's length and everything) so you better like it- shakes fist wildly –

**WARNING**: I have used some of the original dialogue so you know what I do or do not take credit for!

**ANOTHER WARNING: **Some spoilers for the later chapters of Death Note (I think...)

Hope you like it!

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Raito-kun's POV

I glared at the lampposts and the slow moving people, now speeded up, as they whipped past the window. _Why was Amane-san taken into custody so quickly? _Part of me wanted to demand an explanation from L as I was, once again, kept in the dark. _Why do they always have to make plans without me? _However, the other part of me was whispering that as I went to University and stayed at home quite a lot it was unrealistic of me to demand that Ryuzaki notify me on everything that he plans but I quickly incapacitated that side of me. Ryuzaki had raised my hopes earlier on and now they were quashed so I was going to be as pissed off with him as I wanted to.

"Raito-kun, is something wrong?" Ryuzaki asked me in his monotonous voice.

"No." I carried on glaring out the car window but even so I knew that L would be looking at me curiously with his thumb in his mouth.

"Raito-kun is upset with me. I have already apologised about missing our dat-"

"It's not that!" I said whipping around to face my lover while sending a worried glance at Watari.

The old man simply chuckled. "Don't worry Yagami-kun I already know about you two." I stupidly turned to look at L who stared back at me. Watari glanced at us in the rear view mirror and smiled.

"I am very happy for you both so long as you are not Kira, Yagami-kun." I rolled my eyes.

"That's good then, I suppose," I said looking back out of the window sulkily. I heard Ryuzaki give a husky laugh and I couldn't help but smile a little.

I looked at my boyfriend who was staring at me as usual before Watari took a sharp left and I slid closer to the door.

"Watari! Where are we going?" _Shouldn't we have turned right? Had L changed hotel rooms again? He didn't usually change this quickly… _

"I am sorry that I haven't told you before now but I had to wait till I believed we were in a safe place." I raised an eyebrow.

"Raito-kun, I believe you have been very annoyed by my constant changing of hotels, correct?"

"Yeah…"

"So I decided to have a new headquarters built where the taskforce can work without the fear of being overheard. It has all the state-of-the-art technologies to help us find Kira." L stopped to give me a crooked grin. "I will finally have a permanent address."

"Why didn't you tell me this as soon as we got in the car? Or yesterday morning when I came to see you?"

"I was worried that you were too angry with me when we got in the car Raito-un." I rolled my eyes at Ryuzaki. _I wasn't __**that **__angry. _"And I believed that with everything else that has been happening you had enough to think about. Also, I had not planned to move into the building so soon. I'm afraid that the upper levels are still partly in construction, but I have been assured that if we work in the main internal rooms then we will not be bothered."

"Do my father and the others know?"

"They have been notified on how to get there but I have not given them any details. I have arranged for someone to let them in."

I looked at Watari through the mirror but he was busy watching the roads. _Who would let them in? _Watari was with us, and I doubt that L would let Matsuda loose in the new headquarters without him there, so that ruled him out. It didn't seem like Ryuzaki to leave such an important matter of security up to construction workers. I turned to Ryuzaki who was studying me, his thumb in his mouth, and a small smile lifting up the corners

"I give up." I simply said and he smiled even more.

"I desperately want to end the Kira case as soon as possible and it seems that with your help the end is coming sooner than I had suspected. However, since our relationship has formed I can not risk my leaving out a vital clue or letting my guard down in front of you too much."

"Because I might be Kira," I said, sighing. Ryuzaki nodded and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"So I have asked if someone who I trust very much could come and help us with the investigation while making sure we stay professional while on the job."

I stifled a laugh with my hand. The way that L said that with a completely emotionless voice made it very difficult to believe that we would be doing anything 'unprofessional'. However, another side of me was not amused.

"We're both adults, Ryuzaki. I hardly think we need a chaperone." Ryuzaki blinked at me.

"It is not you that I don't trust to be sensible, Raito-kun. A relationship is a very new thing to me and, while I would like to experience everything, all the hand holding, smiling, kissing, that I have seen others experience I cannot risk getting distracted from the case." Ryuzaki traced along a crease in his blue jeans and his dark eyes followed his pale fingers.

I looked at him side on and smiled. _Sometimes he could be so cute…_Leaning closer I whispered in my lover's ear."Okay, Ryuzaki. And you don't have to worry about not experiencing anything."

My paranoid angel (1) beside me smiled at me before determinedly looking back at his hand. _Oh wow… is he really? He is! _Ryuzaki was showing me a perfect virgin blush. _This is too perfect… _I wanted to swallow up this moment so I could never forget it. I had had the pleasure of seeing L defenceless a few times before but never so… vulnerable. I felt love squeeze my heart almost painfully and I wanted to pull the thin man onto my lap but the seatbelts stopped me and so I contented myself with just watching him. A thought occurred to me and I tapped the back of his hand lightly.

"Is there any striped furniture in the new headquarters?"

Ryuzaki cocked his head. "No"

"Oh, good," I said closing my eyes in relief. If I had to stare at even more sickening candy-striped sofas again I might actually go insane. Ryuzaki must have read my mind as he quietly chuckled at my side.

All too soon the ride came to an end and within a second Watari was at L's door, holding it open for him. I opened my own door and got out quickly, mesmerised by what I saw.

The new headquarters was a huge building with many windows that reflected the midday sun. I noticed that they were tinted and so that we could see out but no-one could see in. I craned my neck to see right to the top but all I could see of the roof was the mandatory lightening conductor sticking out proudly.

"Hey, Ryuzaki what's up with this?" Matsuda's voice pulled me back to earth with a crash and I moved to join the taskforce members who were huddled by the front door. Watari sped off in the car after giving me a fatherly pat on the back.

"Have you not been able to get inside?" Ryuzaki asked.

"No! The doors are locked and nobody is answering the intercom!" Matsuda said with his hands on hips. My father greeted me tiredly and smiled at him. Aizawa and Mogi nodded at me.

"Is something wrong, Ryuzaki? Do you need any help" I teased. My lover turned to give me a blasé stare.

"Why would anything be wrong, Raito-kun?"

"Well we have been standing out here for the past half hour or so." Aizawa said missing our silent exchange. The black haired detective stared up into the corner of the foyer where I could see through the full length glass doors was a small blinking camera. Ryuzaki waved at it before moving over to a panel in the wall.

"Watari, my computer?" L asked and the elderly man appeared at my elbow with the computer ready. I jumped slightly but all the others were concentrating on Ryuzaki who was plugging his computer into the exposed panel. His fingers flew over the keyboard and I swear I could see a tiny glint in his eye.

"L- I mean Ryuzaki, what are you doing?" Matsuda asked inching closer and closer to the detective. L looked at Matsuda and the man froze. After a second or so L carried on typing hurriedly into the computer.

"I didn't realise you had to hack into your own building," I teased.

"Not usually, but it seems that my tenants are being a little mischievous today." My father raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on, Ryuzaki?" Watari quickly filled the other members of the task force in on mine and L's chaperone (leaving out the part on our relationship considering only my father knew).

"Ryuzaki, you should tell us sooner if other people are helping with the investigation." Aizawa said but my boyfriend took no notice of him. _Why should Ryuzaki have to? He is the head of the investigation after all… _I couldn't help the feral protectiveness that bubbled up inside of me. _If Ryuzaki wants to bring in extra help then he can. What right does Aizawa have to question him…? _I thought sulkily.

The 'whoosh' sound of the glass door sliding open brought me out of my mental rant. Ryuzaki gave his laptop back to his guardian with a small amount of satisfaction on his face. I wondered when I began to read him better… or was Ryuzaki just letting us see more because he was in a good mood? Watari ushered us into the foyer and I let my eyes wonder over the plain furnishings.

It looked quite similar to any foyer of any business; it had some white waiting chairs, an unmanned desk and some tables. Ryuzaki led us through another set of glass doors, automatic this time, before we entered a grey room. It was built like a hexagon and was devoid of all features except for on the opposite side of the room was what looked like an airport security detector. On one side there was an opening for people's items such as mobile phones.

"If you would," Ryuzaki said as he motioned towards the gateway. Matsuda stared at it some more and Aizawa didn't seem to want to go first. My father sighed and stood forward. I was dimly aware of Watari locking the door behind us.

My father stepped through the door but a red cross came up on a screen to the left and a buzzer sounded. He looked back at the others before he began to empty his pockets. His phone and a set of car keys was all he had. He attempted to go through the gate but was, again, denied.

He sighed. "It's probably your belt, Yagami-san." Ryuzaki said with his usual deadpan voice. My father looked at him exasperatedly before undoing his belt. This time the gate let him through.

One by one we all went through the same routine of divulging ourselves of all things metal and technological. We all made it to the other side and collected our belongings. I was surprised to see L only had to set aside a mobile phone. When it came to Watari's turn he walked through the gate setting the buzzer off but carried on walking up to what I assumed was his office

We watched the old man go as Matsuda laughed. "I don't suggest you do that in future," Ryuzaki said with a sigh.

"Come on," he said as he led us through another doorway and down a corridor made up of small grey panels.

"Ryuzaki, where did you get the money for all this?" Aizawa asked as we passed through a room with a set of five flat screen TVs set into the wall. The black haired detective looked over his rounded shoulder.

"I am L, it's not like I do my job for nothing." I smothered a laugh at L's playful remark. By the looks on the other men's faces I doubt they got he was playing around considering Ryuzaki didn't have the most experience at jokes.

"Here we are," Ryuzaki said as he opened a metal door. We all pooled into a large, rectangular room. On one side was some more doors, the wall opposite us was covered with stairs and the other was lined with desktops and office chairs with one large computer screen fixed to the wall roughly half way along. In the centre was a set of comfortable sofas on which two women, one blonde the other with dyed pink hair, were sitting. A red haired boy of about seventeen was sitting on an office chair, looking at us from over his shoulder.

"That really wasn't your best work Matt," Ryuzaki said and the red haired boy scratched the back of his neck.

"Ah, I wasn't really trying all that hard," he said smiling at us. Ryuzaki moved to sit on the sofa next to the pink haired girl. Gradually the rest of us made ourselves comfortable. I leant against a worktop with my arms folded where I could look at the three newcomers properly. Matt was wearing a black and white striped shirt and a pair of blue skinny jeans, his hair was messy in a casual way and some part of me registered him as effortlessly handsome. But his odd goggle-like glasses did put me off slightly.

The pink girl next to Ryuzaki wasn't overly thin but neither was sure overly fat. Her hair fell to the small of her back and she wore a striped shirt similar to Matt's but hers was white and pink. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans and no shoes. She wore odd socks; one white and black striped the other plain black. Her top had a low neck which revealed some of her extensive cleavage and she wore a pair of light blue glasses which underneath icy blue eyes sparkled intelligently. I raised an eyebrow at her.

The blonde girl was even odder than the other two. She had short blonde hair and a fringe, ocean blue eyes, a perfect straight nose and thin lips. She had a face made for frowning. Matt sat quite normally and Candy sat with her legs crossed one over the other but the blonde sat with her legs wide open. She wore skinny black jeans and a brown leather top which showed off her thinly muscled arms and her midriff. I could almost hear my father's back stiffening.

"Yagami-san, Mogi-san, Aizawa-san, Matsuda-san and Raito-kun," Ryuzaki said pointing at each of us in turn. "This is Matt, Mello and Candy." Matt and the pink girl, Candy, nodded at us but Mello only grunted. Charming…

"Hiya," Candy said before standing up to shake each of our hands. I gave her my most charming of smiles. Matt waved but didn't stand up and Mello ignored us.

"Hi," Matsuda said holding Candy's hand just a little too long with a school boy blush on his face. Aizawa cleared his throat and Mogi shifted uncomfortably in the background. _It seems that no-one except for Matsuda is very comfortable with new people, especially such young people, joining us._

"Mogi-san if you go through that door and go to the end of the corridor, you will find your own office." Ryuzaki pointed at a door behind him and the middle aged man nodded gratefully before leaving the room.

"Why does he get his own office?" Matsuda managed to whine before my father cut him off.

"So, Ryuzaki." My father said clearing his throat. The sheer awkwardness of the situation grated on my nerves and it seemed that only Candy felt it as she looked between us and her two companions. Matt whipped out a gameboy from somewhere and began to play while Mello seemed to be relishing in the uncomfortableness of the situation.

"Ryuzaki why don't you tell us how you met," I said grasping at straws. Ryuzaki stopped halfway between ripping the casing off a cupcake. He looked up at the ceiling before turning back to his treat.

"Mello and Candy are also known as 'M' and 'C'. They are my successors. And Matt is just Matt, a valued acquaintance but not a Letter in his own right." Matt's shoulders drooped.

"Ouch," he said. Candy moved to stand beside him and rubbed his shoulders.

_L has successors? _It did make sense that the best detective in the world would have backups but it burst the small bubble of contentedness that I had gathered around me in the past half hour. The emergence of Mello and Candy made me wonder how much I actually knew about L.I heard Matsuda gasp beside me.

"So you guys are as intelligent as Ryuzaki?" Candy smiled at him as a mother would to a child. _It seems she's worked him out quickly._

"Even more so, I hope." Ryuzaki scoffed.

"Not yet you're not," he said. Mello smiled before unwrapping a chocolate bar and viciously biting into it. _Oh dear God not another sweet addict… _

"Wow…" Matsuda said, his eyes a light.

My father wheeled a chair out and sat on it. After a while Aizawa and Matsuda followed suit but I preferred to stand. Mello looked me up and down and glared at me.

"So you're Yagami Raito," she said, bursting the uncomfortable silence. Mello had a low voice and would have been a good jazz singer.

I nodded giving my father an uncertain smile. Ryuzaki looked at Mello over the rim of his teacup which Watari had brought in for him not seconds ago.

"If you hurt L, I'll kill you," she said.

"What??!" My father exclaimed. Matsuda laughed shakily and Aizawa blinked looking between her and me. I laughed through my nose. _It must seem odd out of context… _since L was her mentor it wasn't odd that she was so protective of him and considering Ryuzaki had had no experience in dating it was only logical to think that I would be the one to hurt him.

My lover bit down on his thumb nail. "There's no need to go _that _far, Mello." The blonde took another bite of her bar and shrugged.

"Eh," she said.

My father cleared his throat. "Now then I think we should get back to work, uh…"

"Yes, right!" Aizawa said shaking his head. _All this childish talk is getting to my head…_he thought.

Matt groaned. "Come on, Matt, save your game." Candy said slapping his shoulders. Mello took a seat on a chair next to Matt as did Candy. The red haired boy scootched closer to the computers. I took a seat next to Ryuzaki.

"What do you think, Raito-kun?"

I looked at the three teenagers sitting next to Matsuda, Aizawa and my father and had to admit it was a funny sight. "If they're as half as intelligent as you then we'll catch Kira in no time," I said giving Ryuzaki a reassuring smile.

He nodded and gave me a quick smile. "Let's join them." Ryuzaki said as he hopped off the sofa and joined the others in front of the large screen. I followed quickly.

"As you all know we have taken Amane Misa into custody under the suspicion of being the Second Kira."

I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts. _Ok back to business… I'll have to pay extra attention than before if I am going to impress those three. _

I knew that Candy wouldn't be hard to get on my side; I was a gay guy after all- a sure fire way of being adored by girls- but Matt didn't seem overly interested in the investigation and I had to concentrate hard on staying on Mello's good side…

"Watari has she said anything?"

"**Nothing yet,"** Watari's voice came from the intercom fixed into the worktop. **"She hasn't even complained about being restrained…"**

"Ok. Right, send the images this way." Ryuzaki opened a tube of Smarties and began to separate them into different coloured piles.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I heard the taskforce members gasp but kept my eyes firmly shut. _It's ok… I knew that Amane-san would be imprisoned somewhere for L to question her… and she is the Second Kira. She's a mass murderer. _

However, all of my reassurances couldn't prepare me for what I know saw.

"R-Ryuzaki what is this?" I asked to the nonplussed detective. Amane-san was strapped to a metal bed-like board which was positioned upright so that the camera could see all of her. She wore a plain white dress which also acted as a straight-jacket. She was blindfolded.

I swallowed thickly and Candy looked at me concerned.

"You ok?" She whispered and I nodded.

"Ryuzaki…this is…" My father said not taking his eye off of the screen.

"She's been captured as the Second Kira. What do you expect?"

"Yea… but-" Matsuda began but Mello quickly cut him off.

"Amane is Kira, ok? We have to do what needs to be done to find out what she knows, especially since he couldn't find out who the real Kira was," she said angrily jerking his head at me.

I took a calming breath through my nose. _I will not descend to her level… _But despite my composed face on the inside anger was slowly boiling up. _How dare she…? I tried my damned hardest with Amane-san! It's not like I saw Mello trying anything to help._

"She refused to tell me his name what was I supposed to do?" Mello stood up and walked up to me.

"Make her tell you. You could have-"

"Mello sit down." Ryuzaki said looking at Mello. Even though his glare was not aimed at me a shiver still went down my spine. I had never seen Ryuzaki so angry. Mello looked at me with narrowed eyes before taking her seat next to Matt who shook his head.

The three adults in the room shifted uncomfortably. Matsuda gave another nervous laugh. _The next few weeks are going to be pretty uncomfortable if Mello is so easy to set off…_I thought, not liking the chances of L and me finding a quiet place to be alone together.

"Raito-kun has done very well, we know how she kills but now we need to find out who the real Kira is."

"Ryuzaki," my father started and we all turned to him. "You haven't informed us on any information… and Raito-kun? What…?" He looked between me and the picture of Amane-san on the large screen.

"Yesterday Amane-san came to our house after hearing the broadcast we created. She confessed everything to me except for who Kira was." I then proceeded to tell them all the rules of the Death Note.

"You can't be serious," Aizawa whispered but Ryuzaki only nodded.

"Yes, such a simple way of killing, but it makes it so much harder to catch Kira without his name." Ryuzaki swallowed his mouth full.

"Where's Rem?" I asked Ryuzaki and he blinked at me.

"She was with Amane-san but she left a little while before I came to the University." I swallowed thickly. _Is she still intent on killing me or had Amane-san told her not to? _I glanced around the room feeling fear tickle up my spine.

"Where is the Death Note now?" Aizawa asked.

"Somewhere safe," Mello answered glaring at my father. "But what I don't understand is why she went to you," she said facing me again. I sighed. _If every conversation we have is going to go like this one then I don't know how long I can survive…_

Ryuzaki bite into an Animal Cracker violently. "We're not going to get anywhere if we keep arguing. Mello, I trust that Raito-kun has told me everything there is to do with his confrontation with Amane-san so there is no need to question him so." Ryuzaki said with a sharpness I hadn't thought him capable of before. Mello leant back in her chair, lightly chastened.

"Watari, make the necessary precautions but do whatever you have to to make her talk. Mello you should help him since you have so much energy at the moment…" Ryuzaki said taking a sip of his sugar sludge.

"Ryuzaki what…?" I said. Ryuzaki blinked at me before taking another sip and licking the sugar off his lip.

"Raito-kun?" I shook my head and looking down at my crossed arms with a sour taste in my mouth. _She is a murderer… she deserve whatever she gets._

I was dimly aware of Mello getting up but at the moment I didn't care. One part of me new that Ryuzaki was right in what he did but another part of me was incredibly uncomfortable with letting the girl who had cried in my arms only yesterday get hurt. _She deserves it. _I told myself over and over again but that only made it worse.

"Umm… Ryuzaki?" I heard Candy ask.

"Yes…" he mumbled through a cupcake.

"Don't you think that I should go instead of Mello?" The blonde girl turned to Candy.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Calm down children," Matt said as he stealthily opened his gameboy again.

"Shut up Matt," the two girls said at the same time.

"I just thought," Candy started. "that as Amane-san is a girl and I am the only other girl here that I should deal with her."

_What?? _

"Yes, I suppose that makes sense. Watari, Candy is coming down now." Ryuzaki said speaking into the intercom.

Aizawa and my father shared a look but managed to stay silent, however, Matsuda had never been able to master the art of shutting up.

"The only girl? But what about…" Matsuda pointed at Mello who's hair seemed to stick on end. She… no He looked royally pissed.

"I am not a girl!" He said going red in the face. Matt sniggered into his sleeve but was silence by a thump on the head. Mello closed his eyes and growled lowly. "Ok, let me get this straight right now. I. Am. A. Guy! Okay?!" Mello said as Matsuda cowered.

"S-sorry."

"Well you should be." The blond teen said biting into a third chocolate bar.

I shook my head at the two guys and turned to Ryuzaki who was intently staring at me with a small smile on his lips. I raised an eyebrow at my lover and he sent me his perfect half-moon smile which almost made me feel better about betraying Amane-san. Almost.

***

Mikami's POV

I stared at the blank page of the Death Note, pen in hand. The white light of my desk lamp glared at the harsh lined page. _This is stupid. I should just get on with it…_

"Hiya," B said cheerily over my shoulder. I glared at him in way of a greeting.

"Where's Ryuk?"

"I sent him away for the moment, laden with apples of course."

"Of course…" I said my eyes straying back to the Death Note. B disappeared into my living room before coming back dragging a chair with him, the legs scraping along the floor sending jolts of annoyance up my spine. He put the chair next to mine and hopped onto it. Leaning closer he looked at the Death Note with his thumb in his mouth.

"Why so glum? I see you haven't written Amane's name down yet. Why not?"

I shook my head. "You wouldn't understand."

B frowned at me. "Why ever not? Go on, try me, I might surprise you," he said a serious look on his face. _This guy is going to be the death of me… _I thought. _Can't he just leave me alone for a few seconds? _I hadn't had any peace since he moved in because he was always there. I knew he wouldn't be able to go out but I had thought he would at least stay in a different room some of the time. But no, he would always be behind a door or a cupboard just waiting for me to notice him. After the first night when I discovered him under my bed I learnt to lock my door but even then I could still hear him cluttering around in the kitchen. B blinked at me almost in my lap.

"I became Kira to protect innocent people and Amane-san has committed no crime." B looked up at the ceiling a childish smile on his face. He laughed through his nose. "What?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, do carry on," he said turning his attention back at me.

"I just don't think I can kill her." To avoid his wide, empty stare I turned back to the notebook but only found its empty page even more mocking.

"But you were so reared up to kill Ryuga-kun so why not her?" I shrugged but new perfectly well why. _Ryuga was ugly, he was odd, he was a freak! How could he replace me? How could he best me? But Amane-san… she was beautiful if not a little stupid…and it looked like Raito-kun was dating her not Ryuga but the joking looks they shared… _

"I just… need time to think." I said. B nodded sagely before slapping me on the back.

"Well, I'll leave you to it Kira," he said before climbing over the back of the chair and dragging it into its original place. "Oh and we're out of jam." He called to me.

I clenched my pen so hard I was surprised it hadn't snapped.

***

Ryuzaki's POV

It had been four hours since Candy had left to help Watari and Matt and Mello hadn't integrated themselves as well as I had hoped. I knew that Mello and Raito-kun wouldn't get along but I had thought that Matt would be his usual jocular self, however, he only hid behind his game whenever Raito-kun attempted to engage him in conversation. _I wonder if Mello said something to him…? _I was proud that he hadn't let his suspicions down but it was a little annoying to have the boy glare at my lover after every move he made. _Ah well, I brought this on myself by inviting Mello to come. Perhaps Near would have been better? _I quickly discarded the thought. My small successor was an excellent detective but lacked the emotional drive that was necessary for the job.

I took a sip of my coffee or at least tried to but the cup was depressingly empty. I turned to Watari but of course he wasn't there, he was in the basement with Candy. I scooped out the last few coffee stained sugar granules and sucked them off my finger. Deciding that it was not enough I grabbed three sugar cubes, one between each finger, and popped them on my tongue, letting them dissolve in my mouth. Behind me Raito-kun and Mello were arguing again.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to knock your papers off your desk, ok?" Raito-kun said with his hands on his hips. I was 93% sure that my lover had done it on purpose. Ever since I had brought him to the headquarters he had attempted to be mature and ignore Mello's scathing comments but even Raito-kun's patience was limited.

"I know you did it on purpose!" Mello yelled back, his fists clenched at his sides. Yagami-san and Aizawa-san had long learnt to ignore the two boys but Matsuda was sitting enthralled by the scene. Matt, having gotten bored sifting through papers, was kneeling in the corner of the room on some tarpaulin fiddling with a broken computer that Watari had supplied him. A small part of me was happy that not all of Matt's childish pleasure had been crushed as it was meant to be but another part of me was annoyed that he couldn't concentrate on the Kira work, especially with Raito-kun and Mello so…indisposed.

"Come on you two shouldn't we be getting back to work?" I interrupted as Mello raised a fist. The two boys froze turned towards me.

Raito-kun blinked and blushed lightly. "Y-yeah," he said before moving towards me again. Mello watched him like a cat would a mouse. I attempted to convey to him that Raito-kun was not so harmless and, if provoked, could give the blond boy more than a little competition but with only staring at my disposal (as I did not want to upset the fragile balance in the room by saying so out loud) I wasn't sure whether Mello understood.

"Oh, Ryuzaki, do you want me to get you more coffee?" I looked up at Raito-kun who gave me a tired smile. I knew that waiting for Amane-san to speak would be trying on his nerves but I didn't realise how…drained he would look. I nodded at him gratefully.

"That would be nice," he left through a door which he had learnt led to a kitchen and I pinned Mello to his seat with a stare. _Raito-kun is stressed enough as it is without you angering him more, _I thought.

Raito-kun was at my elbow within moments putting a hot teapot down next to my empty cup. I poured some coffee for myself then proceeded to put the right amount of sugar cubes in.

"Would Raito-kun like some?" The brown haired boy shook his head but I poured him some anyway. _Raito-kun needs a little pick me up. _The boy's hand clasped over my own stopping me from putting in more sugar.

"Thanks," he said and took a sip. I looked on with a worried frown as my lover consumed the coffee with a woefully small amount of sugar in it. _That must taste awful… _

Matsuda stretched and returned to his work. Matt hummed a tune to himself. Looking around to make sure that no one was paying much attention to us I grabbed Raito-kun's warm hand and squeezed.

The beautiful boy smiled and squeezed back. Putting down my cup, I grasped his with my other as well and examined it. Raito-kun had undeniably fair hands. They were quite wide and had long fingers, perfect for playing the piano, and his tan skin was unmarred by freckles or moles. My own hand looked like a dead white spider compared to his. I attempted to withdraw but Raito-kun grasped my hands and inspected them in much the same way.

_I wish I knew what he was thinking…_I felt the urge to bite my thumb nail but my hand was still captured by Raito-kun. He ran a long finger over each of my knuckles and smiled softly. He placed a small kiss to the back of my hand, the warmth from his mouth spreading quickly. All too soon my hands were back on my knees seeming dead on their own without Raito-kun to supply warmth and life.

Raito-kun twisted his body away from me and sat with his legs crossed and took a sip of his drink. Mello frowned at us from the corner of the room. My thumb found it's way into my mouth and I frowned.

_Since when has Raito-kun become so precious to me? _I wondered. _Since when had I become so dependent on him? _The last thought worried me more than anything and harshly went against the grain of my training. _I had always been told to stay away from others…to keep a distance. Even Mello, Near and Candy don't know me that well and they're my prime successors…_

I glanced at Raito-kun and back to the hand that he had kissed. _Hmm… _

"**Ryuzaki Amane-san is speaking**." I bolted upright as Watari's voice came from the intercom. The other members of the taskforce snapped out of their rigor-mortis like state to stare at the screen.

"Audio and visual now!" The screen flickered into life with a picture of Amane-san strapped similarly to before but now in a chair.

"**I… I can't take it anymore!" **The blonde girl said in a shrill voice.

"What did they do to her…?" Raito-kun asked beside me, staring at the screen.

"Enough," Mello said, not angrily this time. Matt poked his head out from behind his small landfill, his goggles on his forehead.

"**Kill me!" **

I turned on the intercom. "Can you hear me Amane-san?" We could hear my scrambled voice through the video which gave my question an odd effect.

"**Yes… please kill me…"**

"Is this because, in the face of overwhelming evidence, you are admitting to being the Second Kira?" Amane-san shook her head but then nodded. "I need a verbal admission, Amane-san."

"**I…I," **she sobbed but shook her head again.

"Who is the real Kira?" I asked, hoping she would be more compliant but she only shook her head more erratically. Mello leaned forward his elbows on his knees, his blue eyes never straying from the screen. I could tell he was thinking hard.

"Understood… Watari please carry on," I said before I tried to turn off the screen but

Candy quickly moved into shot holding up a notepad which she propped into the shot. Her message read 'Ryuzaki, I don't think she can handle much more. She's at the end of her rope.'

Mello growled before leaning back against his chair. He bit noisily into his chocolate bar.

"**Please…" **Amane-san whispered again. _What should I do now? If Candy thinks she's had enough then I can do nothing more than wait. _I glanced over at Raito-kun who was pale faced. _It would be nice to get this over with. _Popping a gummie bear into my mouth I clicked on the intercom again, deciding to simply 'wing' it.

"What is it you would like Amane-san?"

"**Please, please," **she repeated.

"I don't reckon you'll get anything more out of her. I told you she would be a weakling," Matt said appearing at Mello's side. Yagami-san sent a glare at the teen.

"I think that is in very bad taste," he said before returning back to the screen. Matt blinked, not used to being the one to be chastised.

Candy flipped her notepad shut before shrugging. "Candy I believe that you will be better at this than me," I said shocking her. The pink haired girl hadn't wanted to let on that Amane-san had a sympathiser in case this kept her strong but I decided that if Candy could get Amane-san to like her then we would be much more successful.

Candy gave me a thumbs up and crouched down next to the girl's chair. Hearing the movement the blonde girl turned to the side.

"**Honey, it's ok," **Candy said patting her cheek. Amane-san jerked her head to the side.

"**No it isn't!" **She shrieked. Matt drew a quick breath.

"Be careful Candy," he said and I agreed. If Amane-san was provoked she could potentially bite her tongue off or regress further mentally. This would not help with the investigation at all.

"**Shh, shh, baby," **Candy stroked her cheek again. **"I know this is difficult and I know you're in pain but, sweetie, if you just tell us who Kira is then-"**

"**No! I can't betray him. You don't understand!" **

"**I do honey. I know what it's like to be in love. I understand." **

"I didn't realise Candy was involved with someone." I said more to myself than anyone. Being in a relationship wasn't a good idea for a Letter but I couldn't really tell her not to be, considering my ties to Raito-kun. A small part of me was happy she had found someone to love but another unused part of myself growled ferally. Though my successors didn't know me very well I knew them and Candy was like a daughter, or a younger sister to me. Mello gave a short bark of laughter and punched Matt on the arm.

The red haired boy nodded at my inquiring stare and blushed lightly. _Well, at least she is with someone I can trust. _

"**You-you do?"**

"**Uh-huh."**

"Man, I feel kinda sorry for her. It must be hard being in love," Matsuda said scratching the back of his head.

"This isn't some kind of sitcom Matsuda. Get more serious," Aizawa said.

"Sorry…"

"**I know what it's like to be very loyal to someone, I understand and I won't ask you about Kira again if you don't want to."**

"**Thank you," **Amane-san sobbed.

"**But I'm afraid we do need to know, so,"** Candy stood up and made to leave.

"**No! No please! Not again…"**

"What happened to her Ryuzaki?" Raito-kun turned to me with a panicked look and I yearned to hold his hand. _It must be difficult for someone so young to have to experience this but if he wants to be a detective then he will have to get used to seeing such suffering. _

I could offer him no comfort and so I handed a cupcake to him, instead. He took it numbly and stared down at the pink frosting. Raito-kun threw it to the floor and turned back to the screen.

"**This isn't fair!" **Amane-san screamed. **"The police said I would go free! Raito-kun said it would be ok. He promised…he promised…" **Tears rolled down the blonde girls cheeks from under the black sunglasses. **"I want to see Raito-kun, please." **She sobbed.

Raito-kun quickly stormed out of the room his hand over his mouth.

"Raito?" Yagami-san made to stand up but I waved a hand at him.

"I shall go." I nodded at Mello who took my place in front of the intercom.

"Poor kid," Matt quietly said and I gave him a sad smile before following Raito-kun. _I wonder if Matt felt the same way when he first experienced my somewhat brutal detective techniques. Probably not…_Whammy House where my successors were being trained specialized in taking children's innocence and crushing it in such a way to make them useful to the government and myself.

Raito-kun had made his way outside to a balcony which he leant over, his hands shaking. I could see that he had come out in a cold sweat.

"Raito-kun, it's going to be ok," I said, not realising I was only parodying Amane-san's words from before. I stood next to my pale-faced lover and put a hand on his shoulder which he quickly shook off.

"No it won't be!" He said, turning to face me. Tears had collected at the corners of his eyes and my heart squeezed painfully. "I know that she's Kira and I keep telling myself that she deserves whatever they did to her but even so… I feel so damn guilty." He said grasping the balcony railing till his knuckles turned white.

"I know exactly how you feel."

"No you don't! If you did you wouldn't let that happen!"

"Yagami-kun!" Raito-kun blinked at my harsh tone, his anguished face falling to pieces. "I do understand how you feel because, despite popular opinion, I do have feelings. I do feel guilt for what I do, I do feel horror at what I see other people do but in the end I know that what _I_ am doing is right. I know that, even though Amane-san is hurting, it is worth it because she will bring us one step closer to finding Kira, one step closer to making this perfectly imperfect world a safer place." I tried to calm my heavy breathing but found that it was nice to talk with someone about my feelings. "We do what we must, Raito-kun. Candy objects to all sorts of punishment, she believes that people are people no matter what crime they have done and hates me for wanting to enforce the death penalty on Kira but she knows that, as my successor, she must obey me, that she must help me in all things. Raito-kun you are much freer in this. If you do not wish to be a part in this part of the investigation then that is fine but-"

"No, I do want to help I just," Raito-kun wiped his forehead. He seemed more calm now and some colour had found its way back to his cheeks. "It's just…difficult."

"I know, Raito-kun." I cupped his perfect face in my hand, willing him to close his eyes and gently stroking his closed eyelids with my finger tips. "How are things at home?" I asked wanting to keep his mind off the investigation if only for a small amount of time.

"Ok I guess. My sister keeps bugging me about who my 'boyfriend' is."

"You told her that you have one?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't thought that Raito-kun had gotten so far with his family.

"No, she guessed. Sayu's good at these things."

I nodded placing a small kiss to the tip of his nose and releasing him. "Does your mother know?"

"No."

I gave a melodramatic gasp. "Raito-kun! How could you keep something like that from your mother?" He blinked once and gave me a small smile.

"You want her to know?" He asked moving closer to me. I felt pressure at my hips and realised Raito-kun was pulling me closer. I leaned into my boyfriend, letting my head rest on his shoulders.

"It would be nice to not have to hide. Watari, Matt, Candy, Mello and your father know and the other members of the taskforce would soon find out so why not the rest of your family as well?" I mumbled into his shirt. Raito-kun rubbed my back and I hummed in the back of my throat. Recently my back had been aching horribly and it felt nice to have that simple pressure on it…

"Raito-kun I suggest you have the rest of the evening off." I said coming back out of the warm embrace. Raito-kun frowned at me.

"Why? I'm ok now, really," he assured me, finally acting like the eager teenager he was.

"I know but it is easy to get overwhelmed but such…events especially if you are not used to them. Go home Raito-kun, talk to your mother and sister and go to bed early. I will be expecting you bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow morning. Unless you're busy with University, of course."

Raito-kun rolled his eyes at me. "I'll be here, Ryuzaki."

"Good," I said giving him a light kiss on the forehead. Raito-kun gave me a perfect smile and I felt a little lighter. He returned the gesture before going back inside.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ryuzaki."

"Tomorrow." I waved goodbye at the retreating figure of my lover. Looking out at the city I took a deep breath. Out there somewhere Kira hid, still killing still polluting the world but even so with Raito-kun out there as well that seemed totally insignificant.

The sun was making its way towards the horizon and I shivered. I was more than happy for Raito-kun to feel such worries as before; in fact I would be worried if he didn't feel them. Those worries and qualms were what made Raito-kun so charmingly human and I was glad for one person that I could lean on and speak of my own hesitations. I could sometimes confide in Watari but Raito-kun was a whole different matter. Watari was my guardian and my assistant and Raito-kun was my lover, my equal. Even Mello, Candy and Near weren't my equal as I was their predecessor.

I knew that I would always be there to face whatever Raito-kun was too scared of and I would protect him from it. With that new purpose all insecurities and uncertainties that surrounded our relationship fell away like puzzle pieces.

I took a deep breath of the afternoon air and, with a lighter soul, went back inside.

* * *

(1) I got that from Emilie Autumn (awesome singer-listen to all her songs) and I thought it really suited L. Paranoid Angel…

Phew… I'm really glad I got that chapter done! I had planned on putting more into it but I ran out of time… so I'll just have to wait till next week!

Also did you guys like Candy? She is a character who is 100% my own and I had originally created her so that someone could be with Matt (I'm not the best supporter of Matt/Mello). I also wanted to show that there is at least one intelligent girl in the Death Note universe.

I'm also a little worried about characterisation in this last chapter... tell me what you think?

Hmmm...I hope you liked it, anyway!!


	16. Before

Hello Children! Here's the next chapter but before we start I feel like I have some apologies **WHICH IT WOULD BE NICE IF PEOPLE READ**. Ahem…When I wrote the last chapter I didn't think that Candy would be so controversial. Some people liked her and others said she…not ruined but made the story less than what it was. I'm sorry for people I have offended or annoyed because of her but she's been in my head for a long time and we know very little about the other Letters; we know about L, M, N, A and B and none of the others really. Is it so impossible that C is a pink haired girl who loves Matt?

I would understand that people would get angry if I say… gave Raito-kun a brother called Toby who fell in love with Matsuda at first sight, got pregnant somehow, and had triplets. Yes, then I'd understand, hell, I'd even hang myself for committing such a crime. I think that Candy is almost totally possible (especially compared to Toby…).

I want to apologise to anyone who doesn't like her but I can't take her out now and neither do I want to. There, I said it…

I really didn't want to start off this chapter with a lecture and I really am grateful for the people who reviewed and said that they weren't happy with her but I think it had to be done… What would be the point for you to talk to me if I didn't reply in some way or another? So, people who like Candy, keep up the good work, people who don't please just put up with her; she isn't _that _big of a part.

Now that that's over…

I hope you all like this next chapter!!

* * *

Raito-kun's POV

I set my cup down on the table and sighed through my nose, my hands in my lap. Father was with the rest of the investigation team, trying to get information out of Amane-san and here I was at home, having dinner. It was undeniably good to be eating at the table with my mother and Sayu again but I couldn't help but feel like I could be spending my time better.

_But L was right to send me home…I hope. _I didn't want to seem so weak in front of Mello so maybe it was good for me to come home for a little while and calm down. But what if I miss something important? I fingered the mobile in my pocket. _Ryuzaki would call me, wouldn't he?_ I knew it was wishful thinking. Ryuzaki has been treating me like I was a bloody china doll! _He'd want me to get my rest…_Such a sentiment, while somewhat welcome from my _lover, _twisted uncomfortably in my stomach as it came from a man who barely slept at all and had to destroy his body with sugar to work 'efficiently'.

"Are you ok, Nii-san?" Sayu interrupted my thoughts with caring brown eyes. I nodded and summoned the expected smile.

"Yeah, I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Of course you have," my mother said clearing her plates away. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her pause at the entrance to the kitchen and frown at me, before disappearing. Since my confession she had been acting very over protective of me which, I suppose, is expected. I would have thought that her care would annoy me but surprisingly it didn't. It felt nice to have her fret over me again. It felt like I was a child again… I had always been far more mature than others due to my intelligence which had often left me feeling estranged from my mother who'd wanted to dote on me till I was forty.

"Are you sure, Nii-san…?" Sayu said. I nodded and took my plate out to the kitchen, stopping to take hers as well. Once I had put the dishes in the dishwasher I ushered my mother back to the table.

"What's wrong musuko?" She asked as she sat down at the table. _L gave me this time off so I could tell them, so I might as well get on with it…_Unreasonable butterflies flitted around my stomach. _I shouldn't be worried about telling them that I'm in a relationship… Sayu already knows more or less and mother accepted my homosexuality quite easily. However… _I looked at my mother who was frowning in concern at me. _Do I really know how she would react? Maybe this would be too much for her at the moment…well, I can't turn back now. I'll just have to hope that she'll understand and won't end up like father did and overreact._

"Ka-chan, Sayu, I have a boyfriend." I took a deep sigh and crossed my arms. My sister was out of her seat in a flash.

"Really? Wow… that's awesome! Is he cute? I bet he is… awwww, Raito-kun you're blushing!" She said as she took my hands in hers. I tried to detach myself from her but her fangirling powers were too strong for me and she only clung on harder. "What's he like? What's his name? Is he as smart as you? What's he-"

"Sayu, Sayu calm down!" I said, giving a shaky laugh.

"So what's he like?" She asked, finally choosing one question to ask at a time.

"Well he's…he's unique. Definitely." How do you describe Ryuzaki? An intelligent, adorable sugar addict? Maybe not…

"And?"

"And he's incredibly intelligent, even more so than me." Sayu's eyes widened slightly.

"Really?" She asked, seemingly stupefied. "Oh. Wow…"

"Yeah, I know. And he's a little odd but that only adds to his charm. I think he's absolutely adorable… and he plays tennis as well. He was the British Junior Champion. Oh and his name is Ryuzaki," I said, blushing slightly at the end note, painfully aware of how smitten I sounded.

"Nii-san!!" Sayu squealed. "When do we get to meet him?"

A red flag went up in my mind. "Um, well I'm not sure yet. I-"

"Sayu can you go upstairs for a second?" My mother said trying to keep a happy smiling face. _Uh oh… _I knew that something bad was happening. While father tended to shout, mother usually went quiet and tried to absolve the problem while pretending nothing was wrong.

"Eh? Why? I was just-"

"Sayu, please," she said sounding tired. My sister turned to me and I gave her a small push. She gave me a worried look before she left and I gave her a happy smile.

Once we were alone my mother motioned for me to take the seat opposite her at the table.

"Is something wrong, Ka-chan?"

"Not…not really," she said twisting her napkin in her hands. "Since when have you had a boyfriend?" She tried to keep her voice light but I could hear the effort she had to put into it.

"Not long. But I've known him before we started dating."

"Really? Oh that's good." She smiled a little freer. I shuddered to think what had been going through her head, like maybe I'd picked him up in a grotty gay bar somewhere?

"And Tou-san knows him already. Ryuzaki's working on the Kira case with us."

"Does your father know you're dating this man?" I nodded and she released the white cloth which was creased from the heat from her hands. She smoothed it out on her lap. "Does he approve?"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help a small smile appearing on my face. _She makes it sound like we live in Victorian England_. I had to smother a laugh at the thought of Ryuzaki asking my father for my hand in marriage. "I think so… I don't think Ryuzaki would be Tou-san's choice for me but as I said they know each other and Tou-san respects him." My mother widened her eyes a bit before giving a relieved laugh.

"That's excellent Raito." A thought must have occurred to her as her face fell. "But… is Ryuzaki all this nice?"

"Huh?"

"I mean… you're still very young Raito. You have your whole life ahead of you and do you really need to start dating now?"

"Ka-chan I am 19. I'll be 20 in a few months." I said trying to stay calm but I felt anger bubble up again.

"I know musuko but-"

"But nothing!" I said before standing up, upsetting the chair. It hit the floor with a loud crash and I winced but couldn't take back my outburst.

"Raito-"

"No," I said much calmer. I righted the chair and pulled my shirt straight. "I just thought that you would be happy for me."

"I am, I am. It's just that-"

I closed my eyes. _Why does it always have to be one thing or another? Can't anyone just accept that I know what I'm doing? I get that she's protective of me but doesn't she trust me? _"Ka-chan, please, just…" I took a deep breath and she was by my elbow in a second. "I just need you to support me with this, ok?" I asked giving her a pleading look.

"Did something happen? Did something happen with your father or with the investigation? I know I'm not supposed to ask," she said waving away my protestations, "but I need to know."

"Nothing, Ka-chan." I said looking away.

"Raito-"

"Are you going to support me with this or not? I didn't mean to cause so much trouble… I just wanted you two to know about Ryuzaki," I said, feeling my anger deflate.

My mother shook her head absently and gripped my shirt sleeve. "I don't know, Raito, I just don't know." She said her eyes sad.

"Ka-chan… I thought that if anyone would understand it would be you." I tried to pull away, wanting to be alone but she turned me to face her and, surprisingly, she was angry.

"Yagami Raito! Don't you talk to me like that!" I blinked. _How did this happen?! _I could see that her anger was fuelled by love, or at least I hoped, and I knew that it would cool soon. "Don't you dare," she said, already wavering.

"Ka-chan I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't but that's the thing, you never do! You're just like your father, never giving me any time to think…" She stopped to shake her head, and then carried on, her eyes never leaving mine. "I have tried to be understanding, Raito, I really have. When you came out as gay I was fine with that because I knew that if that was how you are, that's how you are. But this… don't you understand? This is so sudden…"

"Oh…"

"Yes, 'Oh'. Raito…" My mother shook her head and I felt my gut twist. Her anger dissipated slightly and she held my face between her hands. "Look at you… you're all grown up now, aren't you? Going to University, got a job with your father, and got a boyfriend. But Raito what you don't understand is that no matter how old you get, no matter what you'll do you're still my baby."

"I'm sorry Ka-chan, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just…" She nodded at me with a sad smile.

"I know musuko. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to get so mad. I remember what it was like to be young and I know how wrapped up in things you can get. I'm… I'm just so frightened of loosing you," she whispered, releasing me from her grasp and drawing me into a hug. Her head came up to my chest and I leant my chin on the top of her head.

"Don't worry Ka-chan you won't," I promised feeling sick. _I love Ryuzaki but when the time comes to leave Japan with him, will I be able to? Children must leave their parents at some point but it just seems so permanent. _

My mother squeezed me tightly and I tightened my hold on her as if the time to go had already come.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. _And Ryuzaki thought that telling her would be relaxing? Maybe fighting Kira would be less stressful… _I thought with a bitter smile.

"Did I ever tell you how my parents reacted when I introduced your father to them?"

"No," I said smiling even more, glad for a subject change.

"I suppose, it would have been better if I had told them I was actually seeing someone first but what was done was done," she said releasing me and, taking my hand, she led me to the sofa. I settled down cross legged next to her, eager to hear more. Father was rarely at home and when he was he was usually sleeping and so I never heard such things from him and when I was younger I wasn't much interested in listening to my mother. "My father chased him out of the house he was so angry," she said chuckling to herself. I joined along nervously as the picture of father chasing Ryuzaki round the house seemed far too plausible…

My mother patted my hand. "What's Ryuzaki like? You said he's helping out with the investigation, is he in University too or…?"

"Well, I met him at my University but it's his second time going, I think…"

"So he's older than you?" She asked worry entering her eyes again.

"Yes he is but that doesn't matter. He would never hurt me Ka-chan." I reassured her and she nodded unconvinced.

"Can I come back in now?" Sayu asked through the doorway.

"Of course," my mother said, sighing and putting on a brave smile. I smiled back as best I could. Sayu leapt onto the sofa between us. "Sayu!" My mother said. My sister laughed freely and I couldn't help but join in.

"So is everything ok now?" She asked looking between us. My mother nodded hesitantly.

"I think so…"

Sayu snuggled closer to our mother. "Ka-chan, maybe you'll feel better about this Ryuzaki guy if you met him. I mean, I need to make sure he's right for my Nii-san," she said nodded seriously at me. I snorted and turned away from them, crossing one leg over the other. The two women shared a look.

"I think that's a great idea, Sayu. So, Raito, when can Ryuzaki come over, you think?" She asked.

"Ummm," I started eloquently. I was happy to see that my mother felt a little better about Ryuzaki and I being together and it might put her worries to rest if she met him. Maybe. _Would it be safe for Ryuzaki to go out? It's true that he went to University with me and so going to my house wouldn't be __**that **__big of a risk…and he did put those cameras in my room so he knows what it's like…but what if he eats like usual? What if he scares my mother away? _I loved Ryuzaki dearly but I knew he wasn't the most reassuring or accommodating of people. "I'll ask him tomorrow." I said relaxing slightly as the two women nodded to each other. That was until I noticed the sly glint in Sayu's eye.

"Why don't you call him now? It's still pretty light outside so he could come over for some coffee or something."

I turned to my mother with a pleading look but she seemed in on the female conspiracy as well. "Yes, why don't you phone him, Raito?" She asked getting up from the sofa and returning to the kitchen.

"But- I don't think that-…Oh what's the point," I muttered taking out my phone. I mentally cursed the sway that those two had on me.

"Yay!" Sayu said next to me before scootching closer.

I knew that I could have held them off for longer if I had really put the energy into it, but after a few hours they would loose the humour and get grumpy on me. Considering that, while I could buy my food, my mother was the one who still washed my clothes for me, cleaned the house that I lived in and made truly delicious food (especially compared to shop bought stuff) I really had no case. There would be a full washing embargo if I didn't comply. Plus Sayu could be as annoying as hell when she wanted to. I flipped open my phone and put in his mobile number. Ryuzaki wouldn't mind if I just asked him, would he? I knew that there was a great chance he would say no, he was working on the Kira case after all, and I didn't think he would hold it against me if I said that Sayu and my mother really wanted him to come over…

***

Mello's POV

I twirled the pen between my fingers seemingly enraptured as it spun. I sighed heavily through my nose and spun it again. I slapped the pen down onto the table and looked around the room at the so-called taskforce. According to Candy Amane had had enough and so we had packed in for the rest of the day more or less. There was still paper work and such to be done so they hadn't gotten the evening off as Matsuda had hoped.

L was busy consuming all the sweet food in production, Matt and Candy were sitting together away from anyone, supposedly working but more likely talking about games or something as stupid.

Matt had always been my best friend. At Whammy's he had been the only who could put up with my mood swings and he was the only one I could spend any time with without braining him. He had always been extremely geeky but great when you needed someone to talk to, especially when you had a reputation of not needing to talk to anyone. Then Candy came along… she had always been at Whammy's with us but always in the background. When we were young we never noticed any of the girls, really. They were always playing together far away from us. But when we got older we began to realise that girls weren't all the same, especially Candy. She loved computer games, like Matt, she didn't smoke but didn't mind it, she could be cool at times, like Matt and she could also be thick at times, like Matt. So it was only a matter of time before they got together. Ever since then Matt had been spending more and more time with her.

Matsuda yawned and brought me out of my reverie. I grabbed the bar of chocolate sitting on the desk in front of me, took off the paper and foil, and bit into it, sighing inaudibly as the comforting taste invaded my mouth. Matsuda and the other adults had been lolling about doing pointless work. I supposed that Watari was still with Amane.

On the whole it was incredibly dull. When L had asked for my help I thought it would be exciting, working side by side with my mentor to catch Kira. I hadn't thought that my real job was to baby sit Matsuda and watch L and that pretty-faced git of a boyfriend to make sure they didn't start snogging during the investigation. I took another bite of chocolate to calm me down. _God I hate that guy…_I thought, thinking of Yagami Raito. It wasn't so much so that he was a bad guy, his personality wasn't very annoying although he did try too hard, but it was the fact that he was dating L. _L! _No one had a right to make L emotional, no one had the right to _be_ with L.

L wasn't someone who had relationships. He was just…_L. _L didn't do those things. He didn't sit down at the dinner table with his lover and talk about his day, he didn't hug or kiss anyone. No, L solved crimes, L was undeniably innocent, he was untouchable. L was the man behind the computer screen, the man who I aspired to be, the man who had been encouraging and inspiring me and the other orphans since we could remember. L was like a god… he didn't do human. And Yagami Raito was making him human. _L is off limits. Dammit! _I thought taking an angry bite of the bar.

I looked over at my mentor to see him squishing a pink marshmallow between his index and thumb before popping it in his mouth and licking the residue off his fingers. _It's not right…_

L stiffened slightly as his phone rang. Yagami-san looked over at the black haired detective as he answered it.

"Hello?" He said, his eyes brightening. "Ah, Raito-kun. Is everything ok?" He listened for a seconds before biting his thumb nail. He nodded. "I see…hang on." Ryuzaki looked over at Yagami-san. "Raito-kun was wondering if you were coming home soon."

The elderly man rubbed the corner of his eyes. "Not yet, there's still plenty of work to do."

"Not yet," Ryuzaki said into the mobile. I saw his eyes widen slightly. "What, now?"

He listened carefully before nodding slowly, what could only be described as a nervous smile appeared on his face. "I suppose I could…only for an hour or so…yes, yes, ok. I'll see you there."

Ryuzaki hung up before detaching himself from the pile of semi-organised papers. "Yagami-san, I will be going out for about an hour."

"Ok," the older man said before returning back to his work, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I admired his ability to stay out of other people's business.

Ryuzaki left the room and I followed him. _Screw staying out of people's business I want to know what the hell is happening! _

I caught him just outside the main room. "Ryuzaki," I said and he stopped to look at me.

"Mello," he said seemingly surprised to see me.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked, inwardly cringing at my harsh tone. _Rake it in Mello, this is L. No need to get angry…_

"I am going to Raito-kun's house to meet the rest of his family." I blinked dumbly.

"What?" Ryuzaki shuffled his feet.

"Yes it may seem odd but this is what people do in relationships is it not? You meet each other, fall in love, then spend an agonising short yet oh-so-long amount of time meeting their parents and afterwards you are meant to be closer to them than before."

I blinked again. _This isn't happening…_ "But… but you said that my job was to make sure that you didn't get distracted from your work. And this sure as hell is a distraction," I said pointing angrily back towards the room.

"Mello why do you think I chose you instead of Near for this job?" Ryuzaki asked me with a deadpan expression.

"Because I'm better than Near?" Ryuzaki shook his head slightly.

"Think again."

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

"Mello I chose you instead of Near because you are far more emotional, sometimes to the point of fault. I knew that if I chose Near he would stick to his job so thoroughly that I wouldn't be allowed to get away with anything." Ryuzaki said giving me a small smile. "While a small separation to the things that people want the most is a good thing, sometimes, complete deprivation, however, can lead to withdrawal symptoms." My expression must have showed that I had gone into shock for Ryuzaki frowned at me. "I knew that, with you, there would be exceptions. I knew that you would let me be irresponsible sometimes."

I shook my head and breathed heavily through my nose. I had left my chocolate bar in the other room and felt a great craving to bite into the brown, flaky treat. "I don't understand Ryuzaki. It was you who said not to trust anyone so how can you trust Yagami Raito?" The black haired detective held up a hand in a placating gesture.

"In the past I have said that it would be best to not trust anyone, be an island and all that, but Raito-kun has shown me that that may not be so."

I rolled my eyes. _It's always with Yagami isn't it? _Ryuzaki chuckled quietly. "And you too."

"What?"

"You've shown me as well. Mello I have said that you are too emotional to be a perfect detective." I winced at my well-known failure. _I hope he's going somewhere with this. _"And as a result of this flaw you have gotten angry at Near who you believe, though grudgingly, is most like me."

"He is like you, the little brat…" I ground out. Ryuzaki, with an excited smile, held out both of his index fingers.

"Yes! But therein is his failure. Near has become as emotionless as possible to be like me. So, _you_ cannot be the best because you are too emotional, _Near_ cannot be the best because he is too emotionless. Therefore if the two of you worked together you would become as good, no, better than me."

That thought, along with Ryuzaki's excited face at this discovery, was too much and I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up.

"So, what? Near completes me?" I snorted.

"Something like that. You are not the only people who have been taught that to be the best you must be solitary. It was the first rule that was impressed upon me. But Raito-kun has shown me that that is not the best strategy. No one can be so fully rounded that he possesses all the required skills to be 'the best'. While I am L where would I be without Watari? Without the help of the police?" He said pointing towards the door. "Recently I have found that I have been hesitating before making decisions, perhaps I have gotten old…" he trailed off as if in deep thought.

The idea that Ryuzaki was too _old _sent a shiver up my spine. "No! You're just fine," I hurried to reassure my mentor who smiled sadly.

"…and Raito-kun has helped me make those decisions. While he is young and inexperienced his fiery personality is a perfect match for me. As I am lacking a better term, he completes me." He placed a thin hand on my shoulder. "Mello, you have done very well as my successor so far but I believe that to be the best you will need to trust someone. I know that it is difficult, and that the idea goes against everything we have been taught but when you do," Ryuzaki stopped and a light filled his usually so dark eyes, "it is amazing." He smiled conspiratorially at me, as if he was an older boy teaching me swear words for the first time.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked him, dumbfounded.

His black eyes swivelled towards the ceiling before turning back to my blue eyes. "Because I believe that it is not too late for you, Mello, or for the others. If you try to change now I believe that it will be possible. Good luck," he said.

M mentor patted my shoulder and turned to leave. As the warmth from his hand left me my stomach was filled with bitterness.

_How could L say that? How could he, after everything Matt, Candy and I have been through, suddenly change the rules? That's not fair! It's not right! How could he… how could he betray us like that?_

A bad taste filled my mouth and I was worried that I would throw up. Before today I had respected L, I had been in awe of L and, yes, I had even loved L as a boy would a father or an older brother but as L opened the door and left without looking back I hated him. I hated him for leaving me so bereft… before today I had been sure; I knew what I had had to do; everything was so straight. But now…now the black haired detective had come and erased all the things that I had known as being right.

_Trust somebody? _The thought settled in my brain like a stone in an otherwise calm pond. I had seen that Candy and Matt were very fond of one another, so much so that they confessed to love one another, but did they really trust each other? I doubted it…since day one we had been told to give up trust and to give up love. Was it that easy? Just to peel away all the terrifying lessons of my childhood? All the times when I had curled up in bed and cried because I was so _damn_ lonely?

How could L expect that of me? How could he? Was it easy for him to trust Yagami like that? Had he been scared when he had trusted the boy? Or was it as easy for him as any math problem would be?

_If it was so easy why doesn't he come back and show me how?_ _'Good luck' he had said… is that all? Is that all Ryuzaki could say to me? _I had always known that Ryuzaki was awkward; he had to be as he was so estranged from the world, but couldn't he have come up with something better than that? _I don't know __**how**__ to trust…I don't know __**how**__ to love…not anymore. _Before today I had been ok, I had been able to rely on myself but now…now I needed L. I needed him more than ever. _How bloody ironic… _

"Come back," I whispered, my voice hoarse. Ashamed of the childish feelings, I coughed and combed my fingers through my hair. "Jesus Christ," I said rubbing my nose. _This is ridiculous…_

Someone knocked on the door that I had gone through and it began to open. "Hey Mello, you ok? You've been gone a long time?" Matt said. Not wanting him to see me so dishevelled I shut the door in his face. I heard him swear loudly on the other side.

"My nose!" His muffled voice said and I laughed despite myself. Taking a deep breath I opened the door and stepped over the prostrate form of Matt.

"Did you really miss me that much?" I asked as I walked over to where Candy sat.

"Of course," she laughed though her eyes were worried. "Did something happen?" I took Matt's vacated seat and threw my arm over her shoulders. _Damn women and their psychic abilities…_

"Nothing," I said rifling through Matt's abandoned pile of papers.

"My nose…" the red headed boy whimpered. Yagami-san chuckled lightly at the antics of the younger boy and Aizawa-san did so too. Matsuda looked between the two of us, wondering if he should help.

I took a deep breath and, pushing the alarming thoughts to the back of my mind, I began to work again.

* * *

Bleh… sorry for the pathetic ending…

I hope you all liked it and, once again, I'd like to apologize for Candy. I hope she didn't ruin it…(I'm not sore about this at all…)

Don't forget to review; I'd love to know what you thought!


	17. Coffee

Hello children! It's me again with the next chapter! Yay! Considering that I have GCSE mocks coming up in January I doubt I'll be updating for the next two to four weeks…sorry but school comes first (sob). However, don't be surprised if I do update once; it's good to have a break every now and again from revision, right?

Sorry for it being late and I haven't had a chance to send it to my beta so I apologise for any mistakes.

Anyhoozle, I hope you guys like this chapter!

* * *

Raito-kun's POV

I leant against my front door and took a deep breath. After making the call to Ryuzaki I decided to wait outside for him so that I could rally him for the most agonising coffee break he'll ever have and so that I could get away from my mother and my sister. While my mother had decided "that the living room had to be cleaned, after all we were having a guest over, _and_ the bathroom now that I think of it, just in case… should I clean the kitchen as well?". While she was busy with that Sayu kept on pestering me for details about Ryuzaki but, not knowing what I should or should not say, I thought it best to leave it till he got here.

A small squeak took me out of my reverie and I looked up to see Ryuzaki open my garden gate.

"Ryuzaki what are you doing here?" I said pushing away from the door towards my lover. The black haired detective stopped and stared at me.

"Raito-kun I'm here to meet the rest of your family." I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know that. I mean why isn't Watari with you?"

"He is still helping with the investigation."

"So you walked?" Ryuzaki nodded. I frowned at him, feeling oddly motherly. While it wasn't dark yet and I had often walked to the hotels on my own it wasn't something that Ryuzaki did. He never went out on his own. Something could have happened.

"Come on let's go in," I said hooking my arm through his elbow and half dragging him towards the doorway.

"Wait, Raito-kun."

"What?" Ryuzaki shuffled his feet and looked towards the lit window of my house, then back down at himself. After some consideration he looked back up at me.

"Am I presentable?" He said as he champed on his thumbnail. _Bless…_I couldn't help but think how cute Ryuzaki was.

"Of course you are," I said straightening his shirt for him and, as an after thought, attempted to flatten his hair slightly. However, every time I patted his head and tried to get his hair to lie neatly it defiantly sprung back up. I that some water would help to neaten it up but with Ryuzaki's increasingly annoyed look I thought that using my spit would be pushing it a little too far.

I removed my hands and I supposed that if I squinted he looked a little neater. Ryuzaki looked down at the ground with his hands in his pockets, his back hunched a little more than usual. _God damn it, I've just gone and made him even more uncomfortable, haven't I?_

Gently I stroked his cheek and turned his head to face me. Ryuzaki blinked and lent into my touch slightly.

"You look very handsome Ryuzaki," I said, taking his elbow and leading him towards the door. Ryuzaki gave me an unconvinced smile before taking a deep breath. "Ready?"

He nodded and let out the breath he had been holding.

"Ka-chan," I said as I opened the door. "He's here." Ryuzaki stepped into the hallway and looked around interestedly, with his thumb in his mouth. He examined everything from the staircase to the ornaments on the cabinet to one side.

"Bring him in then," my mother's worried voice came from the living room and I led my apprehensive lover into the room.

"This is Ryuzaki," I said proudly.

"Hello," he said in his usual husky voice.

"Oh…" my mother said her hand fluttering to her mouth. My sister and mother were only shocked for a beat before their politer instincts kicked in. Sayu jumped off her perch on the sofa and bounded over to Ryuzaki. He blinked in surprise at her sudden closeness.

"Hi! I'm Yagami Sayu, Raito's younger sister. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Ryuzaki gave a shaky laugh.

"Come sit down," she said before grabbing his hand and pulling him over to the sofa. Alarm bells went off in my mind as Ryuzaki looked thoughtfully down at the sofa, before staring apprehensively at me. I felt my heart squeeze painfully at the lost look on his face. _I never thought Ryuzaki would even entertain the idea of pretending to be normal for me. _I knew how uncomfortable Ryuzaki would be if he sat normally and the thought that he would be willing to do that felt amazing. _While Ryuzaki has done many great things he is very rarely selfless. _

I moved to stand next to him and leaned close to his ear.

"Just be yourself," I murmured and he nodded. Ryuzaki sat down in his usual style, hands on his knees, and stared defiantly at the two women in the room. I took a seat next to him as did Sayu.

"Ka-chan can you get us some coffee?" My mother snapped into action, an amused smile breaking out onto her worried face.

"Of course. Ryuzaki-san do you take sugar?"

"Yes, please," he said and I smothered a laugh with my hand. After my mother left an uncomfortable silence stretched and Sayu giggled nervously. She turned to face L.

"So, Ryuzaki-san, how long have you known Nii-san?" And so the questioning began. As Sayu interrogated the black haired detective he looked distinctly uncomfortable and I would often find myself hiding a smile or a laugh at some of his answers, whether real or evasive ones. At some point my mother came back in and placed a cup of coffee in front of L with a sugar bowl.

While I did want Ryuzaki to be himself, after all it was all his idiosyncrasies and quirks that I fell in love with, but as Ryuzaki eyed the sugar we both knew that this was a turning point in his future relationship with my mother (not so much Sayu who could get along with almost anyone).

Ryuzaki had a determined look on his face as he took two sugar cubes and plopped them into his cup. As an after thought he took a third and put it in. Then, knowing I didn't take sugar, pushed the sugar bowl painfully slowly towards Sayu. She took the bowl and chose two sugar cubes, unaware of Ryuzaki's sad eyes. I draped my arm over the back of the sofa and smiled at him when he looked forlornly at me.

Ryuzaki took a brave sip of his coffee and winced almost imperceptibly.

"Is it ok Ryuzaki-san?" My mother said and Ryuzaki nodded before swallowing.

"Yes. It's delicious," he gasped. And then the world's greatest detective did something so transparent and oddly adorable: he made an 'mmmmm' sound. I snickered into my cup and Ryuzaki glared at me but his glare soon gave way to a small snapshot of childish amusement.

"So, Ryuzaki-san," my mother said setting her cup onto the coffee table. "What are your job prospects?" I snorted into my cup.

"Ka-chan!" Sayu and I said together. She shrugged and ignored us.

"Well Raito tells me you're helping my husband with the Kira case. Do you plan on doing anything else with your life?"

Ryuzaki blinked looking up at the ceiling. My mother waited patiently for him to turn back to her. "I am already a well established detective."

_What?? _I turned to stare at Ryuzaki but toned down my expression as well as I could. _Why is he suddenly telling her this?_

"Raito-kun I do not see the need to hide it from your mother. Yagami-san I am a private detective that has been hired to help with the case."

"You're very young," she said with a perplexed expression on her face.

"Yes, I was started training at a young age. But as Raito-kun has no doubt told you I have also enrolled at his University." My mother nodded.

"If you are already working why did you go back to University?" Sayu said sitting forward slightly.

"I find school very fun. It is a much safer and enjoyable environment than the working world. Enjoy it while you can," Ryuzaki said with a crooked smile.

"Amen to that! I'd hate to start work though it would be nice to have the extra money…" Sayu said. "But that's so cool!" She said jumping back to the present. "Are you going to teach Nii-san to be a detective?"

"Well, Ryuzaki has given me a few pointers already," I said feeling very proud of my boyfriend.

"Raito-kun has the excellent makings of a detective." Ryuzaki said. Sayu looked off with a romantic twinkle in her eye.

"Wow…That'll be so cool with you two could work together solving crimes! Like superheroes…"

"Sayu," Ka-chan admonished. I laughed and looked fondly at Ryuzaki who smiled back at me, taking another sip of his horribly normal coffee which wiped the satisfied expression from his face.

Sayu whipped back round to look at Ryuzaki and I was sure that if Ryuzaki's hand weren't so engaged with his cup she would have taken them. "So you're a private detective working with Nii-san and Tou-san on the Kira case. Hey, you're not L are you?" Sayu dissolved into laughter which Ryuzaki easily joined in with.

"Not quite." He said, keeping his cool. My mother coughed surreptitiously and Ryuzaki turned back to her.

"I wouldn't have thought you would have had the time to go to University alongside working on the Kira case." Ryuzaki grew solemn again.

"Yagami-san, Sayu-san, can you two keep a secret?" They both nodded earnestly. If Sayu moved any closer she would be Ryuzaki's lap. _What's all this? _I thought suspiciously. "I am attending To-Oh University for the reason that Raito-kun is very important to the investigation and to me. It is quite well known that Yagami Soichiro is the head of the investigation and while Raito-kun is helping there is a possibility that he could be used by Kira or Kira's supporters as leverage." My mother covered her mouth. "There is no need to worry Yagami-san, I am with Raito-kun for most of the day and, I'm sincerely sorry for not telling you this before, we have taken precautions to make sure you and your daughter are safe. We have made the same preparations for the families of the other Taskforce members."

I turned to Ryuzaki and raised my eyebrow. _Is that true? It would make sense but why would Ryuzaki tell mother and Sayu? Ryuzaki likes to have cards up his sleeve…he would never explain his methods in front of people who aren't in the Taskforce. _Ryuzaki and I shared a look. _I'll ask him later._

My mother, instead of being alienated that 'precautions' had been set up without her permission, she seemed relieved. "That's great, Ryuzaki-san," she said holding her hand to her heart. "Thank you." _Did he just do it to reassure her? _I shook my head slightly. _There's no point pondering over it now, I'll only end up going in circles._

Ryuzaki waved away her thanks. "It's our job, ma'am," Ryuzaki said giving his best impression of an American cop causing Sayu to giggle and dissolve the tense atmosphere. "So Yagami-san" he said, his voice emotionless once more, "you need never fear for Raito-kun, between working as a detective and going to University I shall make sure that he never wants for anything." I blinked before snorting.

"Like hell am I going to be a 'kept' husband," I said crossing one leg over the other and glaring at the wall. Ryuzaki looked at me from under his bangs and I couldn't help but smile.

"Awww," Sayu said and out of the corner of my eye I saw my mother with a similar expression on her face. I rolled my eyes at Ryuzaki and he laughed in his odd husky way. He would laugh through his nose and close his eyes like he did when he smiled. While it was quiet it spoke so loudly to me. _I made Ryuzaki laugh…_I thought, feeling childishly elated. Then a thought struck. _How much money does Ryuzaki really have? He had enough to build the new headquarters and as L it would be logical to assume he was paid __**a lot **__for his work…I'll have to ask him later. _I added the question to my mental list.

"So Ryuzaki-san," Sayu started in a perfect imitation of our mother from earlier. Ryuzaki blinked and readied himself for round two of his questioning. He had come out fine from my mother's interrogation but in the short time he had known my sister Ryuzaki already knew that she was a different breed entirely. "How many children are you going to have?"

"Sayu!" Ka-chan and I said together.

"What?" She looked at us innocently. Ryuzaki put down his cup and turned to her with a bored expression on his face. Clearly he had expected a more difficult question.

"Raito-kun and I have not discussed family yet," _Yet???_ I thought. "but if you want an answer now I would say…one, if any at all. I'm not very fond of children."

Sayu gasped and Ka-chan frowned slightly. _I hope they didn't expect that we would adopt loads of kids… _"They're ok, children, I suppose… but only when they're house trained." He finished causing my mother to laugh, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

"Ah well, you two will have plenty of time to think about a family later. After all you have both your lives ahead of you." She said taking everyone's cups. Ryuzaki, who had over half his drink left, wrinkled his nose before draining the rest and handing it to her. He made a disgusted face which caught Sayu's attention.

"Is everything ok, Ryuzaki-san?"

"Coffee got a little cold," he replied.

_An hour later…_

I ushered Ryuzaki into the hallway.

"Thank you Yagami-san," Ryuzaki said. "It was lovely."

My mother shook his proffered hand. "I'm very glad I met you Ryuzaki," she said. Sayu bobbed behind her.

"Me too!" She said. Ryuzaki laughed and I took him by the arm.

"Come on we need to get you back," I said affectionately.

"Raito-kun, I can walk back by myself," he said. I looked out the darkened window.

"There's no way I'm letting you go by yourself." Sayu and mother shared a look.

"But Raito-kun I thought you were going to go to bed early," he said, with the first glimpse of dominance I had seen in a long time. I shook my head.

"I'm fine now Ryuzaki. Really," I added looking at his disbelieving face.

"Well, if Yagami-san won't miss you for a night I don't see why you can't sleep over at my apartment. Is that ok, Yagami-san?" My mother hesitated but I was already upstairs getting together a night bag. I slung my bag over my back and practically ran out the door which Ryuzaki held open for me, stopping only to give my mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye Ka-chan!"

"Call me when you get there," she yelled after me.

"Ok," I said closing the front door with a snap. As we walked down the garden path Ryuzaki turned to me.

"Was that ok to just leave like that?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine," I said feeling happy just to be walking next to Ryuzaki. Our arms brushed as we walked and I felt the urge to take his hand but decided against it. What if someone saw and took offence to it? While I lived in a good neighbourhood it wasn't unknown for people to get hurt nearby.

When we turned the corner and my house was out of sight Ryuzaki let out a deep breath. I giggled at his relaxed expression.

"Come on, it wasn't that hard was it?" I teased. Ryuzaki pointed back the way we came.

"Raito-kun I have solved some of the hardest and worst crimes committed during my lifetime and yet," he stopped to jab his finger at where my house was, "_that _was the hardest thing I have ever had to do." Laughing I took his arm and pulled him back around and we continued to walk.

"I think you survived pretty well."

"Really?" Ryuzaki asked with a nervous smile.

"Really. But where did that security thing come from?"

Ryuzaki waved his hand at me. "It's complete nonsense. But I have to say it is a good idea…" The smile slid off my face.

"Why didn't you tell them that you enrolled at my University to watch me?"

"Because that would have made me sound like a pervert." I spluttered at his nonplussed face.

"I mean-"

"Why didn't I tell them that you are my Kira suspect?" I nodded sadly. "I do not believe that your mother or your sister deserve that. And anyway it's always possible that there is no need to tell them about it and that my suspicions will come to nothing," Ryuzaki and I shared a sad smile.

"Yeah." While I knew that I wasn't Kira, I could never be Kira, we both knew that Ryuzaki wouldn't let go of his suspicions for a long time, or ever, even with our relationship flourishing. Ryuzaki wasn't someone to hold a grudge but neither was he someone to forget. There would always be a shadow over our relationship.

To change the subject I ticked that question off my list and started on the next one. "Ryuzaki, how much money do you really have?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Ryuzaki said coming out of his own thoughts.

"Money. How much do you have?"

"Does Raito-kun have a reason for asking me?"

"Just curious," I shrugged. Ryuzaki gave me a mischievous grin.

"Is Raito-kun secretly a gold digger?" I snorted.

"Oh come on Ryuzaki, you're not exactly a sugar daddy are you?" The thought of me being the world's greatest detective's toy boy made me giggle and it seemed to have the same effect on Ryuzaki who was unsuccessfully trying to hold back his own laughter.

"Raito-kun is 19 and I am 23…I suppose it's possible," he leaned closer to me and I drew him into a hug, laughing into his neck.

"23? You're practically an old man," I giggled. Ryuzaki nuzzled his nose into my hair and I felt more peaceful than I ever had.

_Screw being cautious… _I thought, dragging Ryuzaki into the alcove made by someone's garage door. I pushed my lover against the metal door and he raised an eyebrow at me. One of my hands was by the side of his beautiful pale face and the other gently stroked his cheek.

"Raito-kun…?" I leant down and kissed him softly. I knew that Ryuzaki wasn't ready for me to deepen the kiss so I kept it gentle, only slowly moving my lips against his, my mouth firmly shut. After a few heart beats Ryuzaki responded, moving his lips in a clumsy imitation of mine but while he didn't know any tricks and he certainly wasn't skilful that one inexperienced kiss was better than any I have ever had.

I pulled away gently and leant my forehead against his. Ryuzaki wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me another chaste kiss.

"Come on, let's get back," I said before gently pulling away all together and leading him back to headquarters.

***

Matt's POV

I rubbed my eyes in an effort to wipe away the sleep from them. Ryuzaki had been gone for over two hours but no more progress had been made. Yagami-san decided that we could only wait and so wait we did.

Ryuzaki had given us some paperwork to sift through but the hard day of doing nothing had taken a toll on everyone's nerves. Every time I surreptitiously took out my gameboy Mello would make me turn it off again until Aizawa-san had had enough of our fighting and took it off me. Jerk.

On the monitors I saw Yagami Raito and L come back from their outing and soon they had rejoined us.

"Welcome back," Yagami-san told them. L ensconced himself in his armchair and Raito-san took a seat next to him.

"How was your date?" Mello growled as he bit into his umpteenth chocolate bar. I rolled my eyes at him. _I get that he's overprotective of L, hell I'd probably castrate Raito-san myself if he hurt L, but there's really no need to be so defensive all the time. _My blond best friend glared at me as if he could hear my mental argument.

"Has any progress been made with Amane-san," Ryuzaki said through the intercom.

"I'm afraid not," Watari replied. Raito-san sighed in annoyance.

"It seems we'll have to wait for a bit longer. Matsuda could you-"

"Ryuzaki-san she's speaking again!" Candy's voice cut through his order for more coffee.

"Audio and Visual!" Both came up like last time. Raito-san squeezed the arms of his chair and I felt a little sorry for him. _Must be difficult experiencing this when he'd been brought up in such a sheltered environment. _

"**Please…" **Amane-san whimpered.

"De ja vu," I said, earning a glare from Raito-san. _Okay maybe he isn't ready for light hearted banter about this yet._

Candy moved into view but darted back to the other side again.

"**Please kill me."**

The snapping of Mello's chocolate bar was the only thing that could be heard. Ryuzaki was in deep thought. Either that or he was really angry.

"Amane-san we have been through his before. Are you the Second Kira?"

"**Yes…" **she sobbed.

"Wonderful," Mello said leaning back slightly more relaxed. I rolled my eyes at my friend.

"Who is the real Kira? I need a name Amane-san." The blonde shook her head. The taskforce let out the breath it had been keeping in in disappointment.

"Ah man," Matsuda said, scratching the back of his head.

"**Kill me," **Amane-san whispered again.

"At least we've made some progress," I said, always the optimist. I stood up and walked around the room to stretch my legs. I felt like I had been watching anime for five hours straight- which incidentally isn't as easy as it sounds- and so I decided to walk in the footsteps of L and load myself full of sugar and coffee to keep me awake.

"I'm taking drinks orders," I said. Ryuzaki perked up a little and asked for his usual, Mello was happy munching on his Cadbury's and Raito-san shook his head at my offer. Aizawa-san was the only other person to ask for one but I ignored him. _Gameboy stealers don't deserve coffee. _

I brought my drink and Ryuzaki's back with me (giving L a packet of animal crackers I found in the kitchen), and with a dirty glare from Aizawa-san, sat down next to Mello who shared a barely repressed smile with me.

"**Please…" **Amane-san whispered as Ryuzaki dumped the entire sugar bowl into his coffee and stirred the paste with long tea spoon. _Can we change the channel? _I thought.

"**Ple-" **We all turned to look at the screen where Amane-san was stock still, her restraints stretched to their limits as she leant forward. She took a gasping breath before falling back against the chair.

"Watari!" Ryuzaki said. The white haired man and Candy appeared into the screen. They both worked together to rip off the blonde's restraints and Candy began to perform CPR on the unmoving form. After a tense few minutes Watari checked her pulse and shook his head at the camera.

Candy stood up and, gasping, moved away from the dead body, tears at the corner of her eyes. I felt my chest pull me towards the intercom.

"Candy just go take a break if you need to, ok?" The pink haired girl nodded and walked out of the room. Ryuzaki turned off the monitor.

Aizawa-san stood up and kicked his table in anger and Matsuda wiped away some moisture at the edge of his eyes.

"Poor Misa Misa," he whispered. Yagami-san cleared his throat and attempted to organise the papers on his desk.

Mello gave a low whistle. "Kira's good," he said taking a bite of his chocolate bar. _How could Kira have known?? _I thought. _When Mello and I had arrested her we made sure no-one was looking…and when the place was built Ryuzaki would have made sure that there was no way anyone could have put in cameras of any kind without him knowing…so how could Kira know that we had Amane-san in custody?_

"Maybe Kira really is a god," Mello said sarcastically.

Ryuzaki bit viciously into his animal crackers. "If Kira is a god then I'm an atheist."

***

Mikami's POV

My pen was poised over the Death Note.

_Amane Misa_

The name was etched into my eyelids and burnt my brain. _How could I have? An innocent…_

I licked my lips and swallowed thickly. _No, I shouldn't question myself. That's how fools make mistakes, that's how they get caught. They start to feel bad for their victims and then they confess, they go insane. But not me. _I shook my head and cleared my throat.

_It was necessary. _I told myself. _She deserved it…_

B knocked on the door and entered without waiting for any answer.

"Look, B, I did it," I laughed. "You said I couldn't," I turned to Ryuk who laughed behind me. **Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk. **

"Congratulations," B said, his eyes focused on the Death Note instead of me. The thin man's form was in shadow and I realised I was sitting in the dark.

I whipped back to the Death Note. _Only one last thing to do…_

"B, thanks for Ryuga's name," I said.

"You're welcome," the odd man said, his voice far away. I switched on my lamp bathing the page in light.

_Amane Misa_

The name made me flinch but I steeled my nerves. _There's no need to be afraid of a name on a piece of paper. That's all it is…that's all she is…and that's all Ryuga will be.

* * *

_

Oooooooooooh cliff hanger!!!!

I'm sorry about that but you'll just have to wait and see what'll happen next chapter.

I hope you liked it and I'd love to hear what you thought of it.


	18. A friend

Hello children! It's me again with the next chapter. Yaaay!! I have emerged from the desert of mock exams relatively unscathed. Just need to wait for the results now….oh dear…

Anyhoozle I hope you guys like this next chapter and **just a small warning: there will be a tiny bit of swearing and some violence. **Just thought I should warn you.

* * *

Mikami's POV

_Amane Misa_

The name made me flinch but I steeled my nerves. _There's no need to be afraid of a name on a piece of paper. That's all it is…that's all she is…and that's all Ryuga will be._

I saw B shuffle in the corner of my eye but I ignored him. The thin man was caught in shadow, the glare from my desk lamp making half of his pale face look unusually healthy. My eyes flicked back to the paper and I smiled. _I'm going to enjoy __**this**__ one at least…_I thought.

"Mikami?" B said. I grunted in answer and went to write Ryuga-_kun's_ first name. However, my pen only dented the paper and I quickly squiggled on a pad of post-it notes till it worked again.

"We've been room mates for a while now and…" I turned to look at B who was shyly looking down at the carpet. "….I want you to know I'm sorry for this. Well, not sorry per se but I won't enjoy it."

I frowned, distracted from my task, and half turned to face the bizarre man.

"What are you on about?" I asked. However B just ignored me and slowly shook his head from side to side, tutting.

"You were so promising..." Ryuk stood a little straighter in his corner.

"What?" I asked.

Beyond pushed himself off the wall and loosely wrapped an arm around my chest as if he were caressing a friend. Then a quiet 'snick' sound and pain exploded in my back. B's knife slid neatly through my skin, slicing through muscle and flesh. I tasted dull metal in my mouth and I saw pulsing red flash across my eyes. B's knife slashed upwards before finally, finally pulling free from my body entirely. I gagged and coughed up blood.

As if underwater I saw B gently place the knife on the desk in front of me; I didn't hear it's clatter, my ears felt stuffed with cotton wool. He lowered me to the floor. I stared up at the gently smiling face of Beyond Birthday. _Oh God no! I don't want to die! So much I haven't done…so much that I need t-…_

I tried to speak but B only pressed a long cadaver-like finger to my lips.

"Hush now. You don't have to be afraid anymore Mikami…everything's going to be ok." B winked cheekily at me. "I'm sure we'll meet up one day and you can get some payback." I tried to speak but my words came out as a gurgle, blood seeping out onto my immaculate carpet. And with B leaning over me, humming a small song to himself and stroking my damp hair I slowly drifted away into silent, empty peace…

...

…

…

Beyond's POV

Once the light had faded from Mikami's eyes and his last breath escaped him I rolled him off me. Gagging slightly at the blood covering my jeans and my white shirt I stood up.

**Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk. "I didn't see that coming."**

"Yeah…" I said distracted by the utter mess he had made when he died. Repulsion scrabbled up my spine and I ran into the kitchen, the shinigami following me.

"**What are you going to do now?" **He asked. I ignored him and rummaged around in the cupboard under the sink for some cleaning equipment.

"**Didn't you want that Ryuga guy to die?" **Ryuk asked gliding beside me as I made my way back to the late Mikami's study.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" I asked, facing Ryuk with an innocent smile. I set down my probably inadequate cleaning products to the side, wondering about what to do with the body.

"**Well, you were the one who gave Mikami the name." **Ryuk said pointing at me. I blinked at him.

"You of all people should know what it's like to be bored Ryuk. This just made things more fun." I turned from the grinning shinigami and surveyed the murder scene with exasperation.

"What to do?" _First things first I should move the body to the bath so it doesn't make any more mess… then I need to try and clean the carpet if not only for me. Or should I get changed first. _I pulled my sticky shirt away from my body. _Uhh…it's drying. _

I moved Mikami, who was heavier than I thought, to the bathroom before taking my cleaning equipment and glaring manically at the ruined carpet. Holding up a rag I quickly sagged. _This isn't going to work…I feel so sorry for the guy who has to try and sell this place. A new carpet __**and**__ a new bath, probably, before he can get a decent price. _

Sitting down in my usual way I took a moment to plan my attack. Ryuk fired some more questions at me but as I was ignoring him he flew off to find some apples, a far more satisfying way to spend his time than attempting to get sense out of a bored and hungry psychopath.

I sighed through my nose. _Once this is over maybe I could find some jam…_However, the thought quickly died. _No…I need to do something quickly. I can't let myself run out of momentum. _Lazily my eyes fell on Mikami's desk and I scrambled upwards to examine it more clearly.

The knife sat where I had placed it, glinting cruelly in the desk lamp light. The Death Note sat opened underneath it a letter _"L"_ written in Mikami's black pen. To one side were the post-it notes and a normal notebook. To the other was a class photograph from when Mikami was younger. I hadn't seen any other pictures about my room-mate's life, not even one of his mother, so I peered interestedly at the one that ranked so highly in his life.

_Ah…_I thought, smiling like a Cheshire cat. In the middle of the photo was a thrilled looking Mikami and next to him was Yagami Raito smiling charmingly up at me. A giggle escaped my throat and I nodded once.

"Lovely…"

***

Raito-kun's POV

Ryuzaki's fingers clacked over the keyboard furiously. My father and the others had wisely given Ryuzaki his space but not me, no…there was no way I would leave him alone now. When I had sat down next to him in the all but deserted room with my lap top his fingers had hovered for a beat above his keyboard before carrying on.

With very few options Ryuzaki and I began to look into the background of all the people who had surrounded Amane-san at University, her living family, her manager or anyone that she had reportedly been close to recently in a pathetic attempt to see if any of them had the motive, or the intelligence to be Kira. Both of us knew our search wouldn't turn anything up but there was nothing else we could do and it was nice to keep busy.

So far our search had turned up that Amane-san didn't have any surviving family at all and hadn't been romantically involved with anyone since I met her at my coffee shop all those weeks ago. Ryuzaki was working on her manager and I was currently partway through a background check on all the University students.

I flexed my fingers and took a quick glance at Ryuzaki. His eyes darted from side to side as he read his screen and took a handful of skittles, not even bothering to put them into different coloured groups, just shoving them straight into his mouth and chewing quickly before swallowing and going back for another scoop.

I scrolled down my page and Ryuzaki's fingers stopped.

"Did you get anything?" I asked hopefully. Ryuzaki poured the rest of his skittles into his mouth.

"No," he said through his mouthful. The black haired detective slammed his laptop lid shut causing me to jump before grabbing several sugar cubes and crunching them noisily.

I pushed my laptop away from me and leaned close to Ryuzaki. My lover curled in on himself and leant his heavy head on his knees. _I hate seeing him like this… _I thought, gently carding through his hair. L jerked his head away from me and moved further along the sofa. My hand hovered in the air where Ryuzaki had shaken it off. My fingers curled into a fist and I moved back to my work. Sadness welled in the pit of my stomach. I knew that Ryuzaki was under a lot of stress and didn't mean to hurt me… but still…

Surprisingly, I couldn't bring myself to be angry at Ryuzaki. _I bet he's the only person I wouldn't chew out about this sort of thing…_

I saw Ryuzaki look at me mournfully before biting on his thumb nail and opening his laptop again, wiggling his attached mouse to bring it back to life. Ryuzaki sighed through his nose.

"Raito-kun-" he started but I waved his apology away smiling sympathetically at him.

"It's ok. I understand." Ryuzaki curiously examined his knees.

"Do you?" He whispered.

"Of course I do. You're under a lot of stress and there's going to be more work than we thought," I said, realising quickly that I sounded like I was talking to a three year old. Although I don't know how many three year olds get stressed…

"That's a mild way of putting it Raito-kun," he replied attempting to bite his thumbnail before realising he had bitten it to the quick. Unfazed, he moved onto his other fingers. The black haired man picked up a crumb from his trousers and popped it into his mouth. I had a sudden image of a middle aged Ryuzaki sitting incomprehensibly in front of the TV. Shaking my head to clear it of the weird image I turned once more to face my morose boyfriend.

"Ryuzaki, you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened earlier."

"Why not?" He asked uninterestedly wiping crumbs off his clothes. "I allowed a hostage to die. I missed a vital opportunity, one which will never come again, to catch Kira and to stop the killings. I am the head of this investigation Raito-kun it is my fault," he said looking at me fiercely after I tried and failed to pull him into a hug. "I could have done better." He looked at me as if he didn't understand the words that came from his mouth.

Shaking my head I covered his hand with mine. "You made a mistake L. People make mistakes." Ryuzaki removed his hand.

"Raito-kun I thought you knew me better…_I _don't make mistakes. I never have."

_Jesus Christ not this…_I thought angrily. _Who the hell told Ryuzaki that he couldn't make mistakes? Who made him like __**this**__!? _

"There's a first time for everything Ryuzaki. You made a mistake. So what?" I said shrugging my shoulders. "Everyone makes mistakes. You're only human Ryuzaki. You're not perfect." I went to touch Ryuzaki's shoulder but he slapped my hand away.

"I'm not perfect!?" Ryuzaki asked me his voice as close to a shout as I've ever heard it. "Thank you Raito-kun for telling me that because my mind is just incapable of grasping such a thing on its own." He gave me an icy glare and I was convinced he would kick me. "I'm only human you say? Why, Raito-kun, if you hadn't had said, I'd have had _no_ idea."

_For goodness sake… _"Ryuzaki there's no need to act like a child." Ryuzaki lifted himself onto his toes and gripped my shoulder,

"I'm sorry Raito-kun for acting childish." The fight seemed to leave him and he sagged. "But you know what Raito-kun?" He asked me in his usual toneless voice. I smiled.

"What?" _Well at least he's not angry anymore. _

Ryuzaki licked his lips and moved closer to me.

"I'm sorry for acting this way. But I'm only _human_ and I'm certainly nowhere near _perfect_," he growled and standing up, walked round the sofa with his hands in his pockets.

"That was very mature L." I yelled at him, leaning over the back of the sofa. Ryuzaki glared at me and I was sure if he hadn't been L he would have stuck his tongue out at me. "And I didn't say you were nowhere near perfect just…not 100% perfect."

"And the great Yagami Raito should know what is meant by 'perfection'…" Ryuzaki said as he left the room. I heard a fridge door open and him rummaging around for the unhealthiest food in there. _Is every room in the headquarters come with a kitchen next door? _

"God…" I growled turning back to my work. I spent a few seconds trawling through it before throwing my hands in the air and giving up. I heard the scrape of a fork on a plate and was surprised that he'd even bothered to get a plate before stuffing his face.

Pinching the bridge of my nose I sighed. _No that's not nice…_I chastised myself. _He's stressed that's all it is, he's just stressed. _I repeated my new mantra over and over in my head. _Just stressed, just stressed, just stressed, he's just a tiny bit stress- __**but there's no need to be so bloody moody with me!! I was only trying to help**__- he's just stressed…just… stressed. Agh! If this is what all our fights will be like I'm not sure how long I'll be able to survive. _I told myself that as it was our first fight as a couple it would be the hardest. _Of course it would be…that and it being such a horrible, soul crushing day hasn't helped either of us with this. Just give it a little time and we'll be fine. _I thought optimistically.

"Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki called from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" Came my curt reply.

"I want you to move in with me as soon as is humanly possible." _Wait what?_

Ryuzaki padded back into the room with a white chocolate chip cookie about the size of his stretched hand and offered it to me. I ignored it.

"W-why?" I managed to stammer. Ryuzaki gave a one shoulder shrug and waved the cookie at me again. I took it dumbly.

"Isn't it customary for people who share the same feelings to live together?" Ryuzaki gave me a timid smile and I gave him a crooked smile.

"Yeah but not usually so quickly." I said. Ryuzaki folded himself into his usual sitting position before scootching closer to me. Ryuzaki fit perfectly against my side and his head came to rest in the crook of my neck. Realising that our first ever official fight as a couple was over I snapped the cookie in half, trying not to care about the crumbs which now dotted my trousers, and handed him the bigger half which he took gratefully.

We both silently ate our pastry, happy to just be in each others company. I kissed the top of Ryuzaki's head and he nuzzled closer to me. Sighing happily I let my mind wander.

_Why is Ryuzaki asking me to move in with him so suddenly? I suppose he might not have known that you have to wait a __**bit**__ longer than just after meeting your lover's parents before asking, but… _It was plausible that he could have been finding an easy way of ending our argument but I quickly wrote that off. L wasn't like that.

_Maybe he simply wants me closer to him. Maybe so we could…_I felt my face warm as my thoughts trailed off into something far more animalistic. Ryuzaki shifted at my side so he could subtly reach the box of chocolate seashells from the table. He balanced the box on his lap and, after pressing one into my mouth, took one delicately. I gave my lover a steady look before deciding that that was nonsense. _Ryuzaki doesn't exactly have the strongest of sex drives. I mean, we haven't even talked about __**that. **__I wonder__who would be on top anyway? _

In most relationships it was usually the tallest or strongest. A picture of Ryuzaki standing popped into my mind. _When he's standing normally I'm easily taller than him but if he stood straight he would be a centimetre or so taller…_Ryuzaki crushed a seashell between his fingers and licked the praline off his fingers. _Like hell am __**I **__going to be the uke, _I thought snorting inwardly. _But then again…_

Ryuzaki was quite strong himself and he _was_ the greatest detective in the world. He probably wasn't used to submitting to anyone… _If he doesn't want to be the uke then why does he cuddle up to me like this? _I wrapped and arm around his shoulders and he leant closer to me. _See? That's clearly uke behaviour. _

Ryuzaki finished his box of chocolates and casually threw it onto the table, missing by about a foot. I restrained the reflex to pick it up and put it in the bin. _I will not tidy up for him…_I thought sternly. _Oh God…what would it be like if we actually moved in together? We'd kill each other within a week. _

"Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki's quizzical voice snapped me out of my mental panic.

"Ryuzaki?" I responded blinking dumbly at my boyfriend who had a cute smile on his face.

"Are you ok Raito-kun? You're awfully quiet. What are you thinking about?"_ I was just wondering whether you like to take it up the arse or not. Hmm…maybe I won't ask that._

Ryuzaki cocked his head to the side, his hands on his knees. _He looks just like a panda… Ah screw this. _I gave Ryuzaki a disarmingly charming smile and his eyes narrowed with mock suspicion. _Let's see how he reacts to this…_

I hooked one arm under his knees and the other around his back and pulled him onto my lap. My panda looked startled at first but quickly settled into his new environment, a barely noticeable blush tinting his ivory face. _Oh yeah, he's such an uke, _I thought smugly.

I chuckled and Ryuzaki glared at me only making me laugh more. Planting a kiss on the top of his head I pulled my panda into a hug. The older man fidgeted before getting comfortable.

Leaning his head on my shoulder Ryuzaki asked, "Have you thought about my proposal yet Raito-kun?"

"Y-eah…but it is a little odd. Will you explain for me now or do we have to go through out usual little guessing game?" Ryuzaki grinned toothily at me. "Of course." I drummed my fingers against his bony hips while I compiled my thoughts. "I have several theories. One: You simply want to be closer to me." Ryuzaki looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling and nodded.

"That's partly it."

"Ok. Two) You weren't sure when it was customary for a couple to move in together and so simply went with your feelings."

"You were closer with the first theory…"

"Hmm… How about this: you were afraid that I would secretly being seeing someone else behind your back and so would want to keep a closer eye on me." _Ok, I'm not that conceited but it was worth a shot._

Ryuzaki gave me a level stare. "Raito-kun I may be suspicious but I'm not paranoid." I rolled my eyes. _Like I believe that… _"But you are quite close with that last one." _Oh really?_

"Why not just tell me?" I asked rubbing small circles on Ryuzaki's hip.

"I'm surprised that Raito-kun did not get it…" the older man said pouting, his thumb in his mouth. "…but I did ask you because I am very fond of you and I wish for you to travel less. The Kira case is coming to a head and I am worried about you. If you lived here then I know you would be safe. You'd be even safer if you let Watari drive you to and from University…" Ryuzaki said, trailing off.

"What?" _And he says he's not paranoid. _

"I wish to keep Raito-kun safe. The safest place for you will be at the headquarters. I have emailed Watari asking him to make the security arrangements at your house…" Both of us could hear the "but" hanging in the air.

"Don't worry Ryuzaki. It's not like anyone knows I'm part of the investigation. And I don't walk down any particularly bad streets." Ryuzaki stared at me with an apprehensive look. "Honestly Ryuzaki I'll be fine." And still the look didn't change. I sighed. "I'll make sure I keep to well lit streets and that sort of thing. Make sure no one's following me." And still that apprehensive look. "I can't move in with you now. It'll be too much for Ka-chan to take."

Ryuzaki looked down at his lap. "I suppose it would be stressful, having her son taken away from her so soon." My lover removed himself from my lap and opened his computer again. _Seems like our alone time is over. Back to work, I suppose. _I didn't like leaving Ryuzaki hanging like this but it couldn't be avoided when he was in this my laptop I looked at Ryuzaki out of the corner of my eye. _Just as I thought; he's moping._

"Ryuzaki, I'll think about it, ok?" My black haired angel nodded distractedly, already in 'work mode'.

We worked together for a solid thirty minutes working through the list of students, then University lecturers who might have been there, and then any of Amane-san's co-workers. We found nothing.

I stretched, cracking my back as we both accepted that it was a pointless search. Nothing was coming up and nothing would.

"We're trying to catch smoke, Raito-kun." Ryuzaki murmured next to me.

"Hmm?" I asked, halfway through a stretch.

"It could have been anyone," Ryuzaki flipped through a pile of papers each with the (pathetic) suspects' details. "We know that Kira hasn't met up with Amane-san yet so he couldn't have killed her to stop her from talking."

"What if he'd seen her being captured and put two and two together?" I suggested. Ryuzaki nodded once. "Mello and Matt captured Amane-san and said that no-one had seen them. They had arrested her in a relatively deserted area but there were still houses nearby. Kira could have lived there coincidentally or could have seen her come to your house and then set up cameras around where she might go to keep her under surveillance. Kira could have been hiding nearby and just not have been seen. Or Kira could have been at your university and decided to end it before she talked. But why wait so long to kill her… Raito-kun!" I jumped as Ryuzaki, who had just been thinking out loud, swivelled to face me. "I believe that Kira couldn't have known that Amane-san had been taken into custody. If so why wait so long? By what we have seen of Kira's behaviour he wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone if he thought they were a threat so why leave her? I believe that Kira had no knowledge of her whereabouts from at least the time she came to your University to the time she died. If I am correct all of this has been a waste of time." Ryuzaki rubbed his eyelids.

"So you're saying Kira killed her for another reason; that she just happened to be the Second Kira."

"I believe that is the most logical conclusion." _So it really could be anyone…an old friend she annoyed, a boyfriend she'd spurred, or a rival model but none of her competitors have been involved in anything suspicious. It could even have been someone who hated people __**like**__ her and seen her photo, although Kira doesn't seem to be like that._

"I believe that we shouldn't rule out the university students just yet." I rolled my eyes at Ryuzaki and slumped in my seat, throwing my arm over my eyes. The clock told me it was way past midnight but it seemed that, as none of the other investigators had left, we were all going to be pulling an all-nighter.

"We can go over them as much as you like Ryuzaki but nothings going to come up." Ryuzaki took a sip of his coffee.

"Raito-kun took a group of his university friends to Aoyama. Can he remember if any of them were there with Amane-san?"

"All of them were there Ryuzaki," I mumbled.

"I cannot remember any of them reacting in a bad way to Amane-san."

"Nope. They all loved her." Ryuzaki stroked his bottom lip.

"Raito-kun? Did you meet Mikami Teru while in Aoyama?" I felt my face get hotter.

"Yeah, we only talked for a little while thought," I hurriedly replied. "Why?" I asked sitting up straight again.

"After the mob had dispersed I saw Mikami-san walking away, looking awfully dejected." Ryuzaki said as he brought up Mikami's files. I chuckled.

"You think Mikami might be Kira?" I giggled. "There is no doubt in my mind that Mikami is innocent of being a mass murderer." Ryuzaki finished reading through his file.

"I respect Raito-kun's judgement. It was only a thought." _Yeah say that after you re-checked his background. _

Ryuzaki sighed heavily through his nose. "Our efforts have been futile."

"Come on Ryuzaki. Don't get depressed again." Ryuzaki's glare melted as I started to give him a back rub. It wasn't the best one that's ever been performed, I've never claimed to be an excellent masseuse, but it certainly did the trick.

"Mmmm," the bizarre man said. Giving him a kiss on the lips I smiled indulgently at him.

"Is that bett-"

"Raito-kun?!" The two of us whipped around to where Aizawa-san stood in the doorway. The man stared in mute horror. My first instinct was to silence him and silence him quickly but I was glued to my seat. _Oh shit! This is not how I wanted the others to find out. _

Ryuzaki however, wasn't as mute as me. "Aizawa-san please calm down." The older detective shook his head and backed out the room. Ryuzaki and I shared a look before bolting after him.

We found him in the main investigation room where Mello was being restrained by Matt and Candy was picking up an ocean of papers that Mogi had dropped. Matsuda looked embarrassed while Aizawa-san had gotten passed his shock and gone straight to angry.

"Uh, hi," Matsuda-san said blushing. My father and Mello tried to speak at once and Ryuzaki hushed them.

"I believe Aizawa-san has something to say." Ryuzaki walked into the room, back hunched and hands in his pockets. I retrieved one hand and held it, now that the secret was out why hide?

Aizawa-san nodded, his eyes flicking over to Mello who had shaken Matt off and was now leaning against the wall, a black pistol in his hand. The red haired boy was inching closer and closer to the blond, waiting for a moment to steal the fire arm. Aizawa-san cleared his throat and gathered his nerves.

"Ryuzaki, I don't want to be ungrateful," _oh no…, _"but I believe that you should leave the investigation." Matt jumped in front of Mello to stop any actual casualties and my father spluttered to the side of him. Mogi stood in silent surprise.

"What do you mean Aizawa-san?" My father and I asked at the same time.

"Yeah, I mean, we can't catch Kira without Ryuzaki," Matsuda-san said.

"This is bullshit!" Mello yelled from behind Matt. I squeezed Ryuzaki's hand reassuringly.

"Look I was just thinking," Aizawa-san said, wetting his lips and directing his speech to the older generation of the taskforce, "if there is any suspicions about Raito-kun's innocence should he really be involved with the head of the investigation?"

"Aizawa-san thinks I've been compromised," Ryuzaki murmured. The older detective nodded.

"I'm sorry Ryuzaki. But Raito-kun could be trying to use you so you don't suspect him."

"Don't listen to him Ryuzaki," I said to my lover. His thumb was hanging loosely in his mouth as he stared at his feet.

"I agree with you Aizawa-san," my father said.

"What?!" I demanded.

"Chief!"

"Ryuzaki it is inappropriate for you to be involved with a suspect. However, I know my son isn't Kira so there isn't really any danger. You two work very hard and with the added help," here my father nodded at Matt, Mello and Candy, "I'm sure everything will be fine." My father smiled at the two of us and I returned it best I could.

"Ryuzaki-san I know this isn't my place," Mogi-san stepped forward, "but I agree with Aizawa-san. I don't believe that you should be the head of the investigation while the two of you are involved. I believe that we need you Ryuzaki otherwise we would never catch Kira. I am just uneasy about the decisions you are making."

Aizawa-san nodded. "I suppose it's impossible to stop you two from having feelings for one another but I think you should call off your relationship until Kira is captured. Either that or leave the investigation," Aizawa-san said sweeping his hand out in front of him. Mello made a run for the older man but Matt and Candy grabbed him muttering, "he has a right to an opinion," and "even if it is absolute rubbish."

"I see…" Ryuzaki said slowly.

Matsuda looked concernedly at Ryuzaki. "But… but… they're such a cute couple…"

Ryuzaki was very still and I peered at him. "You ok?"

"Aizawa-san wants me to choose between the investigation and my relationship with Raito-kun…" Ryuzaki nodded forcibly before chewing his lip. "I'll be back in a little while…" Ryuzaki said before resolutely leaving the room.

"Ryuzaki!" Candy called after him. I ran after him into a connection of hallways. Cursing my lack of knowledge on the layout I followed the slapping of Ryuzaki's bare feet.

The staccato noises sped up and so did I. I followed the sound of my lover running up two flights of stairs. I soon saw a flash of white around the next corner and throwing open the door in front of me I stumbled into a pitch black room. Flipping on the light switch I realised I was in a bedroom. It was simply furnished: a window opposite the door, a double bed with bedside tables, cabinet and a TV opposite the bed, wardrobes and a second door presumably leading to an en suite bathroom. In the middle of the bed there was a lump with a shock of dark hair poking out from under the duvet.

"Ryuzaki it's me." I pulled back the covers to see Ryuzaki with red eyes. His face was dry and composed but he had definitely been crying. _Maybe people like him have run out of tears to shed…_

"Hello Raito-kun," he said in mock surprise. He sat up higher on the bed and I sat next to him. Clearing his throat he waved expansively around the room. "It seems you've found your way to my bedroom, Raito-kun."

"Ryuzaki what they said was stu-" Ryuzaki put up a hand to silence me.

"It is a natural and logical reaction. I cannot blame Aizawa-san no matter how much I want to. His demands are reasonable and I believe we should follow them."

"What?! No way, Ryuzaki! I'm not letting you go," I said pulling him into a tight hug. The older man laughed into my chest.

"It would only be until we caught Kira."

"That would be hell Ryuzaki…" I nuzzled into his black hair. I was momentarily calmed by Ryuzaki's strawberry shampoo but the anger quickly rose. "We shouldn't listen to him. I mean, what right does he have to say who we can be with and when?"

"He is a valued member of the team," Ryuzaki ground out but I could plainly see the anger in his black eyes.

"No he's a volunteer. If he doesn't like it then _he _can leave. It's your job; you're the one who needs to catch Kira." Ryuzaki nodded, his eyes narrowing. "I mean, think about how much you've done for this case. If it wasn't for you they'd still be at square one." I said, egging him on.

"I have given them…absolutely everything," Ryuzaki ground out. "I have sacrificed so much time, effort and money. I have put my life on the line countless times and yet Aizawa-san won't even let me be in love?" Ryuzaki said coldly. I squeezed him so tight to my chest I felt like I was trying to push him into my heart. Ryuzaki gripped my arm tightly but as quickly as his anger came it disappeared. Suddenly, I was holding a limp and morose Ryuzaki.

"I shouldn't have ran out…"

"Oh Ryuzaki!" I said tipping his head up to look at me. "You reacted just fine. It's Aizawa-san we should be angry at not you!"

"It was entirely irresponsible of me to do so. I should have calmly and emotionlessly told Aizawa-san to-"

"Shove it up his arse," I finished for him. Ryuzaki rolled his eyes at me.

"-to not worry about my sincerity, that I haven't let my guard down with you and I won't in the future."

"Ryuzaki, I don't understand why you're so keen on putting yourself at fault," I said stroking his cheek.

"Raito-kun I have two of my potential successors in that room. I have to act as a perfect role modal for them."

"But I thought Mello is here so that you can act a little more…normal." Ryuzaki bobbed his head.

"Yes, but I suppose I always knew that no matter what I did in front of Mello he would still see me as perfect. To be honest I believe that Mello is at the end of his evolutionary chain; he's still a great asset to me but I'm not sure how much he can change for the better. Candy on the other hand still needs moulding."

"She'd understand. And Ryuzaki she isn't a child. Not everything you do will leave a long lasting impression on her." Ryuzaki gave me a forced smile. I rolled my eyes at my hopeless lover.

"My actions were deplorable and I should go…apologise," he said gritting his teeth.

"Fuck that! Ryuzaki, if you're not going to get angry then I will for you. How dare they treat you like this?! I can't believe them, it's just so…aaghh!" I threw my hands in the air in frustration making Ryuzaki laugh through his nose in that delightfully childish way of his, his eyes completely shut. "What now??" I said, slightly pissed off with his mood swings.

"Raito-kun is very beautiful when he is angry." _What? _Ryuzaki darted forward and kissed me hungrily. It was still relatively chaste, no tongue, but that kiss took my breath away.

Ryuzaki leant back smiling bemusedly at me. _Ok so not such an uke…_

"Oh dear…it seems I am addicted to you, Raito-kun…"

I giggled and took his hand. "Ryuzaki we don't have to leave the investigation, do we? Can't we work separately from the others?" My lover looked unconvinced. "Don't worry Ryuzaki. You'll have me and Matt, Mello and Candy to help you. Oh, and Watari would still be bringing you cakes 24/7."

"Raito-kun I would have thought you'd be bringing me my snacks now, seeing as you are so fond of me." I rolled my eyes at him. Kissing him on the top of his head I reassured him that everything would be fine. "Thank you Raito-kun." My lover hopped out of the bed and extended his hand.

"Come, let's go and tell them our decision." I took Ryuzaki's hand and left his- _or is it 'our'?_- bedroom, not before making the bed though.

***

Matsuda-san's POV

We watched on the surveillance camera as Raito-kun and Ryuzaki-san left the room. _They really are an adorable couple…_I thought. As soon as Ryuzaki-san had left Matt had sprung up to the computer terminal and had begun to hack into the security, turning on the camera in L's room.

Once we had seen all there was to see Matt hurriedly disabled the camera. Once his work was done he turned to face each of us in turn, taking extra time to look at Aizawa-san. _I suppose I do know how Aizawa-san feels…but it's Ryuzaki! He works harder than any of us here. And he's so cool! His doesn't deserve this… _I crossed my arms and glared at Aizawa-san.

"By God if any of you tell Ryuzaki I _will_ castrate you," Candy coughed, "or draw on you with permanent marker while you sleep." Watari laughed through the speaker. "That goes for you too old man!"

Mello went to take a bite of his chocolate but put it down. _End of my evolutionary chain, huh? _He thought listlessly.

***

Raito-kun's POV

When we opened the door to the main investigation room everyone went silent. Ryuzaki tried to extricate himself of my hand but I held on tighter. Mello, Matt and Candy sat to one side with my father and Matsuda-san who was looking righteously angry. Mogi had joined my father as his views weren't a strong as Aizawa-san's who was sitting on his own pointedly ignoring the silence.

"Aizawa-san?" Ryuzaki said. The older man turned to face him looking apologetic and nervous.

"Look Ryuzaki-san I-"

My lover held his hand out. "Don't worry Aizawa-san, Raito-kun has come up with a way in which we can both be satisfied. Raito-kun, Matt, Mello, Candy, myself and anyone else who wishes to join me will be working in a nearby part of the building. This way I can still work on the investigation and Aizawa-san will not be offended by my relationship with Raito-kun. We will do this for a trial period of a week and, depending on whether all of our performances' improve or not, we will stay separated."

"Wait Ryuzaki I-"

"Watari is there a room with as much technological abilities as this one?" Ryuzaki asked, not giving Aizawa-san, a chance to speak.

"Yes, it's in the top right quarter of the building." Ryuzaki's eyes lit with realisation and he nodded.

"Ok then, come along children," he said to his successors who grinned, Mello a little fixedly- _I hope he isn't moping because he didn't get to pistol whip Aizawa-san_- and joined him. The four of them left, my father and Matsuda-san clearing away their work. Mogi-san left to his office, giving Aizawa-san a reassuring pat on the back. Matsuda-san ran after Ryuzaki not wanting to be left behind.

My father and I followed at a more leisurely pace, leaving Aizawa-san on his own. As my father had a lot of work I helped carry one of his heavy suitcases. I saw my father smile at me from the corner of my eye.

"You really do love him, don't you?" He asked, with a proud look in his eyes.

"Yes, I do," I replied wondering where this was all coming from.

"Good. I'm glad," he said, giving me a fatherly pat on the back. Once we were all settled into our new home I pulled Ryuzaki to the side.

"Raito-kun?" He smiled up at me quizzically. _Is it just me or is he standing a little straighter?_

"Hi," I said pulling him into a kiss. Ryuzaki's arms wrapped around my neck and I pulled our hips together. _Ok, so he kisses like an uke… _

"Hey! This is exactly what I'm here to stop you know!" Mello said. I heard Candy laugh and I think Matsuda-san 'aww'd.

My lover kissed me on the tip of my nose before settling into his chair. I started to join him but my phone rung.

"It's ok Raito-kun, you can answer it. We have made your phone untraceable." I looked at my phone wondering just when and how the hell he did it. I shrugged and answer it.

Moving away from the group I asked, "Hello?"

**"Hello is this Yagami Raito?"** A man said in a terrifyingly familiar voice. I looked at Ryuzaki, half expecting him to be pulling a prank on me somehow, but he was busy selecting a Danish pastry from a tray.

"Who is this?" There was a beat before the man answered.

**"A friend."**

* * *

Wooo!! Finished, yeah!! I hope you guys liked reading this just as much as I loved writing it. See ya next weekend!!


	19. Come back to me

Hello children! I just wanted to start off this chapter with a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed!! They made me insanely happy. Also I've realised that in the last chapter I didn't make B's side of the phone conversation in bold. I've gone back and fixed it but I thought I should just explain.

* * *

"**Hello is this Yagami Raito?"** A man said in a terrifyingly familiar voice. I looked at Ryuzaki, half expecting him to be pulling a prank on me somehow, but he was busy selecting a Danish pastry from a tray.

"Who is this?" There was a beat before the man answered.

"**A friend."** _What? _I glanced at L who was sitting snugly in his chair and moved further away from the group. Mello watched me carefully.

"I have no idea who you are. How did you get my number?"

A small giggle came from the receiver. **"I found it, you see, in a friend's mobile."**

"Alright, well I don't know you so, goodbye," I said. _God this guy's weird…I doubt he even has one friend. _However, as I thought this I knew something bigger was coming. I could feel it. So I didn't hang up.

"**No you don't know me. But I know you Yagami Raito. You are a dedicated member of the Kira taskforce. You are nineteen years old and are currently attending To-Ho University. You prefer men to women and are incredibly intelligent."** _Oh God…_I thought, _how does he know about the taskforce? What do I do? I've never had any training for this before… _**"Raito-kun?"** The nick name made me shiver with disgust. While he sounded like Ryuzaki, it was just…wrong. **"Raito-kun are you alone right now?"**

_Lie. Lie! _"Yes," I said, trying to keep my voice normal. I didn't want to worry the others before I knew what this guy wanted.

"Hey Raito-kun! Is everything ok?" Matsuda called from the other side of the room. The other man giggled in my ear. _Shit…_

"**Oh dear…it's very naughty to lie Raito-kun."**

"Yeah I'm fine…it's just a friend from University. I didn't recognise his voice at first, that's all," I said. Matsuda-san nodded and fell back to work.

"**Well done. Raito-kun you are at the headquarters right now, aren't you? Don't worry about how I know this…I'll explain it eventually. I want you to answer in a way not to draw suspicion, ok?"**

"Yeah, ok, ok," I replied laughing lightly at the end. _Is that good enough? _I thought angrily. _I won't get L's help till I know what this guy wants. _I decided.

"**Go outside, into a corridor or something, while there's probably cameras everywhere it'll give you a little leeway."**

"I'm going to take this out in the hallway, ok?" I said to no one in particular. Ryuzaki waved me away. Once I was outside I felt like I could breathe easier.

"What do you want?" I asked in a Jesus-Christ-not-this-again tone of voice that I usually adopted with my University friends who missed lectures. What I really meant was _Why the hell are you calling me? _And I hoped this guy understood.

"**Is it so odd to have an anonymous informer, Raito-kun?"**

"Oh shut up." I wanted to say something a little stronger but didn't want to blow the charade.

"**Raito-kun, I understand that you are a hard worker on the taskforce, yes?"**

"Yeah."

"**If you want to help your little L," **I felt my heart stop. _How does he know about me and L? There's always a possibility that he doesn't know we're together and is just using an unfortunate choice of words but…Ryuzaki and I haven't exactly been careful in showing that we're intimate in public. But Ryuzaki said that it would be ok so long as no one knew he was L. How does this guy know?! __**"**_**you will come to this address," **he said, giving me a house address somewhere in Yokohama. **"I can give you vital information on the Kira case. If you want it you will come to the address at twelve tomorrow…or today actually. I have some cleaning to do first, you see, and so cannot make it any earlier. You will come alone and in all secrecy. Understand?"**

"Yeah," I said.

"**Fantastic! Now, go back in and give you lover a little kiss and tell him you'll be meeting up with a University friend tomorrow. I'm sure he won't mind." **

"Wait! Who are…who will be there?" I asked hoping he'd get my real question.

"**Who am I? Hmm…I suppose you can call me B." **B then hung up, leaving me standing dumbly in the corridor. I slowly drew my mobile away from my ear and tucked it back into my pocket. _Is he Bee or B? _My mind imagined the letter in Old London font next to an L. _Who is he really? He said he was going to give me vital information on the Kira case…if so why not use the official help line and give his information there? _My whole being screamed at me to go in and tell L everything that happened. Then, when I went tomorrow I would have some form of protection whether that be backup or a gun I wasn't sure but either would be welcome.

My hands curled into fists at my side. _No! I won't be frightened by this guy! _Throughout the conversation B had been flaunting his knowledge of L. He was threatening me. _I won't let him hurt my L. This is just a new obstacle that I have to cross. And he might actually give me some useful information on the Kira case. _So steeling my nerves, I decided that I _would _meet B on my own. And while there I would make my first real contribution to the Kira case.

Fixing an exasperated smile on my face I returned to L

"Is everything alright Raito-kun?" He asked through a mouth full of cookie. Sitting down next to him I wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Yeah, one of my friends from University needs help with a lecture. Is it alright if tomorrow I go to his house? At about twelve? I could go during my lunch break." Ryuzaki narrowed his eyes at me. Keeping my face straight I let Ryuzaki examine me. _I thought we were past this…_

After a while Ryuzaki nodded. "Ok then Raito-kun. But I will want you back as soon as possible."

"Ok." _He's probably just worried about me…he has gotten a little overprotective of me lately. Ah well, I'm sure whatever B wants won't take too long. I hope._

"Hey L! Does that mean we get some time off too?" Matsuda-san asked hopefully.

"No. Raito-kun has been assisting me late into the night recently; he deserves some time off with his…friends. And Matsuda-san I hope I don't need to remind you that being a detective is your job, while Raito-kun is volunteering. That is why you won't get any time off."

"No fair…" Matsuda-san mumbled.

Noting how tetchy Ryuzaki was being I rubbed gentle circles on his back. My lover shuffled closer to me and gave me a sad look. While my rouse hadn't raised any suspicion from the others L was nowhere near convinced. On the inside I went over the address one more time while letting myself look like the caring albeit exhausted boyfriend that I was on the outside.. _Yes, this is the best way to act…I will look after L without him knowing._ Despite this thought, I felt absolutely terrible for not telling him. _He should know…_a small part of me whispered but I crushed it. _I can't doubt myself. _L stared at me for a long time after that, before sighing and taking another bite out of his confectionary._ He knows I am lying._ _ But he also knows that there's nothing he can do about it. _

_An hour later…_

We all stopped working at roughly three in the morning. It was clear when I half tugged L to _our _bedroom, him still clutching a laptop, that he had planned on working straight through the night. But after Matsuda-san fell asleep and when I started to droop L decided to call it a night.

L threw the laptop onto the bed and began to undress. Feeling my face get hotter I turned around and found my over-night bag. Opening the second door I walked into the en suite. The first thing I saw was the shower which had two shower heads. I felt myself get excited but tried to calm down. _How long has L planned for us to get together? Or had he just planned for every possible eventuality like usual? _Shaking my head, I tried to ignore the raunchy thoughts of shared showers. The en suite was very large, almost three times the size of the one at home. There was the double shower to one side and a bath on the other. The shower had no curtain but instead had a glass door and barrier which was partly frosted for modesty. The bath was square and could have easily fit four people. _How many people does he plan on bathing with? _Thankfully there was only one toilet. Quickly I brushed my teeth and went through my usual night time routine but without a shower. I returned to the main room just in time to see L get in under the sheets.

I quickly changed into my night clothes. Ryuzaki looked thoughtfully at the closed laptop before putting it on the nightstand. I jumped into bed and, blushing, settled down next to Ryuzaki. _Calm down for Christ's sake! It's not like we're going to __**do **__anything. _But as soon as L turned off the light I felt my tiredness escape me.

Ryuzaki lay down facing me.

"You going to sleep Ryuzaki?" I asked, wondering if the detective ever slept.

"No Raito-kun, I don't think so," came his reply. Even thought it brought to mind rather less…innocent thoughts, it was nice of L to lie down with me. I could see Ryuzaki's pale face in the darkness and I leant out to stroke his face. _I hope he doesn't mind too much me lying to him. _

I shifted so our heads were next to one another on the pillow. Leaning forward I kissed him softly.

"Is something worrying you, Raito-kun?" The same annoying part of me was jumping up and down in my brain screaming _'tell him. Tell him!!!'_.

"Not really," I replied, swallowing heavily. Ryuzaki leant on one elbow and looked at me levelly. "L?"

"Yes Raito-kun?"

"Do you love me?" Ryuzaki paused and I knew he was looking up at the ceiling even though I couldn't see his eyes. After a few seconds he settled down against his pillow.

"Raito-kun knows I do."

"Yes but… You haven't properly said it yet."

"Raito-kun," L started. My lover moved closer to me so we were almost chest to chest, _why does he have to have his knees to his chest now??, _" Raito-kun I love you very much. It sounds odd to say it and most of the time I won't. But I love you now, and I feel like I will always love you."

"I love you too L." I felt Ryuzaki's fingers brush against my eyelids. "Sometimes I love you so much it hurts," I said, feeling my face flush. "That sounds stupid…"

"No it doesn't Raito-kun. I understand. People say that love hurts; I thought they meant unrequited love. But even though we are in a relationship it does hurt, monstrously so. Raito-kun I don't want you to misunderstand; I feel happier than I ever have. Unfortunately I also feel more protective, paranoid, harassed and down right terrified than ever before." I laughed, quickly joined by Ryuzaki's husky chuckle. L's fingers travelled down my cheekbones and gently stroked across my lips. "You should go to sleep now." He said. Instinctively I tried to lick my lips and Ryuzaki quickly drew away from my mouth.

"But I'm not tired anymore…" I moaned. Ryuzaki raised an eyebrow at me. "My brain's not turning off." I said, grasping fro an excuse. _Ryuzaki must suffer from that all the time. _Sitting up I looked curiously at L. "Ryuzaki?"

"Hmm?" Ryuzaki replied lying down so that his head lay near my arm pit.

"There's something that's been annoying me for a while. Ryuzaki, what are we exactly? Just to clarify..."

"You mean like boyfriends?"

"Yeah. It must be so much easier for heterosexual couple. I mean they can say boyfriend or girlfriend, husband and wife, but the entire world seems to pressure the gay community in saying 'partner'." I heard Ryuzaki chuckle.

"Does it really annoy Raito-kun that much?" He asked, turning onto his back so he was looking up at me. I leant down to kiss him on the forehead before leaning back again.

Breathing through my nose I replied, "Not really. Just wondering what you thought."

"Well, I have never really thought much on the subject but I do think that the whole 'partner' issue is a little annoying. Especially when heterosexual people use the term." At my amused smile he elaborated. "I once worked with a very important man on a case, I cannot of course divulge his name, and, while I don't care very much for my subordinate's private lives, it is good not to agitate them."

"And?"

"And he said his partner was called Jamie." Ryuzaki smiled up at me, his white teeth showing well in the darkness. Once I recovered from my giggles I began to stroke through his messy night-black hair.

"And what about us? Neither of us, it seems, is too hot on 'partner'. I don't think 'boyfriend' is appropriate seeing as you're 23 and I'm 19."

"I agree. I'm not too fond of 'lover' either. This may sound odd, but I believe that there is more to our relationship than love." Ryuzaki sat up, one knee against his chest and the other stretched out to his side. "That makes no sense…" He mumbled into his knee. I tried to speak but he waved me into silence. "Let me try and explain…I believe that 'companions' is a better term, although I'm sure we're both in agreement that it is lacking any passion. However, I like it, because we are more than significant other's. We are not paramours, inamoratos and neither are we sweethearts. We are not admirers, darlings or dear ones. You are not my beloved. Raito-kun, 'companion's denotes a sense of equality without the ambiguity that 'partner' holds. You are not my helper, wooer or follower. You are not inferior in anyway. Also 'Boyfriend' and 'lover' implies some form of dependency. Both of us have shown that we are capable of functioning well on our own. We just work better together. Raito-kun is my equal, my match, mate and my rival." Ryuzaki turned towards me as if realising I was there for the first time. "Raito-kun is brilliant, profound, clandestine, grand and handsome. Raito-kun is everything, and he is not dependent or secondary to me."

"Ryuzaki… they're just words," I said, laughing slightly at the embarrassingly thoughtful explanation.

"Yes, they are Raito-kun but, unfortunately, words are the only way that I can satisfactorily communicate my feelings to you." Ryuzaki looked at me with no blush on his face and I felt a little guilty at laughing at his feelings.

"I'm sorry Ryuzaki. I do understand." _And I __**really **__do. I know what Ryuzaki is trying to say. Our love is unique. Completely different to any other that has been felt before. I can't deny that there isn't a sexual element to our love, it isn't in any sense 'pure', but there is far more to it. As Ryuzaki said, companions is the best for us. We are wholes but at the same time halfs of one another. We are independent but we work together like one working piece. Our love is perfect in its imperfection. _And I knew that no one loved like this. Mother and father couldn't possibly feel like this. Aizawa-san and his wife's love couldn't compare. The love Mikami-kun felt for me was nothing like this beauty. _No, ours is unique and good. No one can love like we do. No one. _

I pulled Ryuzaki down into a kiss. My passionate companion pressed his lips against mine. Gently, I moved my lips against his, pulling him closer. Ryuzaki's lips felt so warm and soft. I was encouraged by his submission and my hand slipped under his white nightshirt and up his back, loving the feel of warm skin against my fingers. Ryuzaki pulled out of the kiss.

"Raito-kun don't!" He said moving away from me. Gasping at the sudden loss of heat I realised what I'd done.

"Oh God, Ryuzaki I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's ok Raito-kun." He said, pecking me on the lips. "Honestly."

Nodding I said "sorry" once more before lying against the pillow. A comfortable silence grew between us. I felt a yawn try to surface but repressed it. While I knew I would regret this in the morning I was afraid that, what with the breakthrough B might bring, we wouldn't have much time together in the future. "Ryuzaki do you believe in God?"

"That is an awfully weighty subject so early in the morning."

"I know but I am curious. So?"

"Do I believe in God? No, not really. Raito-kun you know I am a scientific man. I believe in what I can see, feel and rationalise. I believe that God was a way for people to explain away sun sets, rainbows and natural disasters. I don't see any place for God in our world, not anymore." I raised my eyebrow at such a cynical answer. _Of course that would come from L…_

"You don't believe that there's _any_ place for God? For any God?"

"Well, I suppose there are reasons for God. Religion gives people hope which is something that there is a deficiency of in this world. God also gives reason for hate."

"God's about love, surely?" I asked, delighted as Ryuzaki settled down close to me once more.

"Oh yes _God _is made of love. He his Omnibenevolent, assuming we're talking about a Christian god. However, _humans _are far more realistic. Humans have used religion and God as an excuse to invade others, point and place blame on people they hate. Americans in the deep south say that 'God hates gays' and a Church of England bishop even went as far to say that the floods in my beautiful England was divine punishment for our relaxed views to homosexuality." _Ouch, _I thought. "People have always used and always will use God as a father figure who they can run to to blacken other people's names. To clarify, I don't hate Christianity, I just hate Christians. What about you Raito-kun?"

"I suppose I do get what you talking about Ryuzaki but I do believe that there is more to Christianity than hate and delusion. However, I don't believe in God. I used to but not anymore."

"How did that change?"

"Well, my mum isn't very religious but my father is a Christian as was my paternal grandmother. I loved her very much; she was the old traditional type of grandmother. The kind who could shout herself hoarse when you did anything wrong but would always take care of you afterwards. Whenever I visited her she would always try to stuff me with candy and cakes. I don't think I ever saw her without an apron on…" I said smiling at the memories. "I must have been eight when she died of stomach cancer. I remember that after the funeral the minister took me aside and told me not to be sad, that 'God had wanted her to die. That He had chosen her to go early'. He said I should be happy because an, for all I know, imaginary man had decided to give her cancer, to make her go through that long fight and all that pain just to kill her a year later."

"Raito-kun while I am happy to see you on the atheist and, as far as I am concerned, more enlightened side of this debate the minister was very ignorant and you shouldn't have let him ruin it for you."

"I know, I just-" I managed to say before cutting myself off. _Jesus Christ…_I thought as a sob caught in my throat. "It's odd; I haven't thought about this for years, let alone said it. Father thinks I still say my prayers every night before I go to bed." I said, laughing at my own fragility.

"Hush Raito-kun," Ryuzaki said as he pulled me into a hug. I knew I wasn't going to cry, after it all it had happened twelve years ago and twelve years is sufficient time to bury it deep, but it was still nice to be held like this. Ryuzaki rubbed my back in small circled and I buried my face into his neck. One of his legs was trapped between our bodies, his bony knee stabbing into my chest, but I didn't want to move. "Raito-kun should go to sleep." He said in my ear.

"Not yet…" I mumbled feeling myself drift away.

"Raito-kun you are the most fascinating person I have ever had the pleasure to examine." _I'm sure he doesn't mean that to sound as creepy as it does. _"And I would very much like to hear your thoughts on other debates but there is plenty of time for that later. It is now…four AM. Get some sleep."

"Mmmk," I said before drifting away.

***

Ryuzaki's POV

I found myself snuggling under the covers, close to Raito-kun our heads touching. I knew I should do some work. _Maybe our work earlier wasn't wrong…? Maybe I should look over the suspects profiles once more…_My mind said but my body refused. I wasn't tired enough to sleep but neither did I want to move from Raito-kun's body heat.

Without any intellectual stimulus my mind, as usual, began to wonder. _How come I can lie with Raito-kun like this, with only a few layers of cloth separating us, and yet I cannot be comfortable with him touching my naked skin? I suppose it is understandable somewhat seeing that we haven't been dating for a long time but I feel like I've known him for far longer. I trust Raito-kun. Well, on the most part…_

And, like usual, I pushed my Kira suspicions to the back of my mind where they could fester and rot or eventually burst to the forefront of my mind and strangle my love for Raito-kun as they did far too often. _Don't think about it. _My brain advised me but I knew it would be no use. There were plenty of disadvantages of being a genius, being beaten up as a child was one and the crippling loneliness was another but by far worst was the ability to think of multiple things at once. While others of adequate intelligence could do the same I'm sure it didn't hurt them in such a same way. While I am working I often find myself thinking of several other things; what else I need to do; how long I've been doing one task; the time left to finish the task; how much my back aches; the details of my previous case despite it already being finished; going through a list of worst case scenarios for this case; when the use-by date for my cake is all simultaneously. This gift is sometimes useful in my line work but when I am trying to relax it is murder.

Clenching my eyes shut I slowed my breathing in time to Raito-kun's. _I wonder whether Watari is in bed or not? _I thought. I rolled onto my back next to my Raito-kun and glared up at the ceiling. _Brain! You have served me well these last 23 years but now, I beseech you! Think of something constructive which isn't to do with the Kira case!_

….

_I wonder if there's any snow in England yet. _Rolling over to face Raito-kun I sighed through my nose. My companion frowned in his sleep before relaxing once more. I traced Raito-kun's lips with my eyes. _Kissing is nice enough, so do I want to go any further? _(I mentally patted my brain for being obedient for once) This thought filled me with an irrational fear.

_This is pathetic…it's not like I've been abused in a sexual way. I have no need to fear sex with Raito-kun. I'm sure he'd be perfectly gentle…even if he is a teenager filled with irrational hormones…hmmm, who would be on the top anyway? _Raito-kun is very dominant and I doubt he'd want to be the uke, I wouldn't even know what to do if I were on top. A small part of me was excited and curious at the aspect of being looked after in that way but another part was mortified at the idea of being bent over anything. _No, it wouldn't be like that. Raito-kun would show me every respect that I deserve. I'm sure he'd be gentle and caring and would stop if I wanted to…_

I sighed angrily through my nose. _Why can't things be simpler? Why do we have to go from kissing to sex in one leap? No…I'm sure Raito-kun would want it slow._

_Teenage boys aren't likely to be very adept at controlling themselves in bed. _My brain objected. I rolled my eyes. _Raito-kun is asleep so I resort to having an argument with myself…_

_But who exactly would be on top? Surely it would be the most masculine, but we both show somewhat feminine qualities at times. Maybe the man with the biggest genitalia would be on top. _I felt a blush creep up my neck. _That's no help…_I whined inwardly. _How am I supposed to know whether or not his is larger than mine? _Casting my mind back I remembered unabashedly watching as Raito-kun got undressed while there were cameras in the Yagami household but surely a thing on a screen would seem very different in the flesh?

_Isn't a man's foot size meant to equate to a large or small penis? Or is that just a myth…?_

Moving slowly so as to not wake Raito-kun I grabbed my laptop and turned it on. It quickly jumped to life and, squinting my eyes against the glare, I opened a search engine. When it opened up I typed in 'relationship between penis size and foot size'. A few websites said yes there is a correlation while many said no. _It seems I'll have to go with the majority. _

Not wanting to work yet, I shut down my laptop and replaced it on the bedside table. I snuggled back down next to Raito-kun and waited for my eye sight to adjust. While on the outside I was calm inside me there was a torrent. _Why is it that the first time I'll see it will be when we are about to have sex?! That's not fair…and I can't ask Raito-kun or look without his permission. Although, he is very mature… perhaps he won't mind. Raito-kun has been very understanding about my sexual timidity so far._

Sitting up, I saw my hand hover over Raito-kun's shoulder. _Just wake him up. He won't mind… _Despite instructions from my brain my hand refused to move. _Raito-kun has had a very long day. I should just let him rest. _I thought, withdrawing my hand and making myself comfortable.

_Coward…_

_The next day… _

Surprisingly I managed to get asleep at about six in the morning but woke only two hours later. Usually I would have woken Raito-kun much earlier than eight but seeing as he had stayed up very late last night I thought it would be for the best.

It seemed Raito-kun had managed to wrap an arm around my waist and so getting out of bed was more difficult than usual. As I clawed my way out of his grasp it became apparent that I needn't worried about waking him last night as he sleeps like the dead. I went to the toilet before getting changed into a fresh pair of clothes.

Taking a deep breath I set to the task of waking Raito-kun up. Shaking his arm and yelling his name did nothing. I imagined myself phoning Watari, _'Watari, I need a megaphone.' _However, while Watari was an excellent assistant and guardian I doubted he'd have the desired equipment for his job so I settled for a slightly more fun alternative.

Taking a run up, I jumped on Raito-kun. My companion woke instantly as landed on his back.

"Jesus Christ!" He yelled twisting his neck to see me. I settled comfortably on his back, gripping his shoulders to keep my perch.

"Good morning, Raito-kun."

"What the hell are you doing Ryuzaki? Get off!"

"But you're so comfortable," I said before being flung off by the very irate teen. Raito-kun rubbed his face and glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table.

"Oh God…" He moaned before burying himself in the duvet once more.

"No Raito-kun. You need to get up now." My companion only groaned at me. "I know you haven't slept as much as you would like but you have your break with your friend today. Try to look forward to that," I said, feeling ill. While I trust Raito-kun- _Kira, __**Raito-kun!- **_I knew something was going. The way that Raito-kun had acted didn't seem…normal. Also, while I don't meant to be conceited, Raito-kun had never passed up my company for his fellow University attendees before.

I managed to drag Raito-kun out of bed. While he got changed I looked away even though it would be the perfect time to get a gander at Raito-kun's gentleman's area. However, I respected his privacy and was committed to waiting till we were both ready to explore one another.

After a hurried breakfast and once Raito-kun and I had satisfied our need for hygiene (we took separate showers, still being a little shy to have a joint one) my teenage companion seemed a little more cheerful. It was nine o'clock

"Ryuzaki? There haven't been any huge breakthroughs have there?" He asked as we were making our way the new 'main room'.

"Not since yesterday, no. Why?"

"Well I was wondering," Raito-kun took my hand and forced me to stop. "Do you remember when you said that sometimes you need to go in guns blazing and other times you need to just lie back and watch things unfold? I know you're stressed Ryuzaki, we all are, but isn't this one of those times?"

"Raito-kun I do think that we might use our time better relaxing today, until more clues come up, but I cannot allow us to waste time when people are dying." Raito-kun looked at me sadly but nodded.

"Ok, sorry." He recaptured my hand and we walked into the workroom to find only Watari there.

"Watari where are the others? They should have been in an hour ago," I said sitting at my work station, filling every available inch in candy and sweets to keep me going. Raito-kun checked his ever present watch before sitting down at the next monitor.

"I sent them home," Watari said. My muscles seized up as if I had been delivered a blow and the macaroons I had been holding fell to the floor. I wondered whether to impose the five second rule or not and in the end decided against it.

"Why?" Raito-kun asked my question while I was busy staring mournfully at my fallen comra- confectionary. Watari quickly cleaned up the mess with a speed denoting a long term in such service.

"Candy pointed out something rather interesting. Before now Kira has killed roughly 68 criminals per day, unless the demand was lower, starting at five in the morning and ending at eleven at night. But since 10:30 last night not a single criminal has been killed."

"It is always possible that the demand has run low at the moment." I mumbled.

"Ryuzaki," my guardian said, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. "You have been overworking yourself to death these past few fifteen years. I know you're worried about the time you've dedicated to personal issues during this particular case but I believe that, for a few hours at least," here Watari stopped to wink at Raito-kun who smiled smugly back at him, "It'll be fine. You need your rest Ryuzaki."

"I actually slept two hours today," I snipped but only caused him to chuckle.

"Candy, Matt and Mello are extremely worried about you. They want you to be ok. So they're working on the Kira case for you." I tried to interrupt Watari but his immortal parental love cut me off. "Ryuzaki, either Candy or Mello are going to take over the title of L one day. They need to get experience of the tedium between clues."

"There's always some work to do…" I mumbled into my knees feeling defeated. _Everyone's ganging up on me…_

"Come on Ryuzaki. Didn't you say that a day off would benefit everyone at this point?" I glared at my companion but he only smiled back. _Bloody sunny teenagers… aren't teenagers meant to be grumpy all the time?_

Raito-kun leant forward and turned off my monitor before stealing one of my macaroons. Smirking at me he bit into the cookie. _He doesn't even like sweets, _I thought despairingly. Watari patted my shoulders before 'leaving us to it'.

"Oh come on Ryuzaki. Don't be so depressed," Raito-kun said, frowning in concern at me. Sighing deeply I pushed away from the computers. If I was being forced to have some time off I might as well enjoy it.

Raito-kun and I sat down on the more comfortable sofa, me simmering slightly and him smiling like the Cheshire cat. Damn him.

"Raito-kun it seems we have the best part of three hours before you must go to see your friend." As I mentioned the incident with the phone call Raito-kun's smile became fixed. It was only a small change, just a little quirk of the lips, so small I doubted anyone else would see but I knew Raito-kun well enough. Something was bothering him…

My companion nodded and turned to look out the window. _Well whatever it is he's being awfully tight lipped about it. _I felt my heart ache as if it were trying to claw it's way out of my chest to get to Raito-kun. I didn't have any reason to suspect that something bad was going to happen but… _what if he doesn't come back? _The less rational part of my brain supplied me with a solution. _Security cameras. I could hack into it and watch Raito-kun through the street cameras. _A small faction of me rolled it's inner eyes. _Great so now I can watch Raito-kun get raped/mugged/shot or he could find out and realise that I've been stalking him. _

Raito-kun would get apoplectically angry at me if he ever found out. _But I need to keep him safe… _I whined as I bit into chocolate pocky the sugar, for once, not helping me with my anxiety. _I have to do it. Raito-kun will understand. I have to keep him warm and safe. If anything happened…_

I must have been showing my anxiety in some way because Raito-kun pulled me into a hug.

"Ryuzaki is something wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"I don't want you to die," I mumbled. Raito-kun's eyes widened before he smiled with such affection I felt my heart settle back into it's cavity.

"Ryuzaki, trust me, everything will be fine. I'm just going to a friend's house. Don't worry about me, beautiful." He said cupping my face.

***

Raito-kun's POV

L blushed and smile shyly at my comment making me feel lovely and warm. _I bet no one's ever told him how beautiful he really is. _

I felt bad about lying to L but I knew everything would be fine. At least that's what I kept telling myself. However, an annoying part of me was trying to disturb my mental peace. _Aren't you meant to be smart? And yet you're going to a strange house, in a city you're not familiar with, with nothing but your mobile and a bit of money, under the pretence of going to a friend's house. While there you will meet with a mysterious unstable man who could or couldn't be a rapist/mugger/psychopath. Yeah, __**real **__smart._

_Ah! I'm not helping anyone with this. _I thought glancing at the clock. It was now half nine and I was getting a little fidgety.

"Impatient?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Yeah, it'll be great to see him again. We haven't met up outside of school in ages." I said giving Ryuzaki my most charming smile. My beautiful angel stared at me a long time before giving me a smile. I reached out and pulled him onto my lap.

"Ryuzaki when did you first realise you were a genius?" I asked, leaning my head on his, picking up the thread of conversation we'd been sharing before I fell asleep last night.

"Now that's a difficult question… I believe it was when I was six. Or seven, I can't quite remember. I think I was either a well establish six year old or a new seven year old at the time. But anyway, I vividly remember playing with this cardboard box," Ryuzaki said holding out his hands parallel to one another as if he were holding a large box. Despite my best efforts I couldn't help but giggle, especially after the image of a chibi L jumping in and out of a box entered my mind. Ryuzaki glared at me good naturedly before he carried on. "I remember pretending that I was Winston Churchill and I was sending troops out to the battle of the Somme. While a little morbid and not entirely historically correct it was a lot of fun. I believe I kept on repeating 'we will fight them on the beaches' and 'History will be kind to me for I intend to write it' as they were the only things I knew he said."

I kissed L on the tip of his nose. "You know, now that I've gotten to know you, you're really very British." I said. The dark haired detective smile thoughtfully at me.

"I am actually a quarter English, quarter Japanese, quarter Russian and a quarter French," he replied. "Although even with my mixed blood and even though I have no fixed home I do consider myself thoroughly English."

"Why such a loyalty to England?" I asked, tracing small circles on his hips.

"I was born there and raised there, I suppose. While I have worked in many countries and have gotten to intimately know the cultures, England's has drawn me more than any other. I am very proud to be English considering how many great Englishmen there have been. Winston Churchill and Sherlock Holmes were my favourites, the latter falling out of popularity after I realise he was a drug addict and fictional. Winston Churchill was an extremely intelligent and funny man. "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." Also, while my ancestors don't concern me greatly I know they went through a lot to live there. During the Stalinist uprising in Russia my family decided to leave and, unfortunately ended in Nazi Germany. Then they struggled to get to England or more specifically the Isle of Weight after several years of struggling with the English culture and language."

"To be honest Ryuzaki I've never heard of the Isle of Weight." I said, smiling sheepishly.

"It's one of the Channel Islands. Remind me Raito-kun if we ever go to England to show it to you. I used to go there on holidays when I was younger and it made very little impression on me except that there were far too many middle aged bikers, wearing studded leather with tassels on their handle bars." _Ryuzaki's so cute when he's like this, _I thought. I knew that he was avoiding anything which could lead to his name which saddened me but it was nice to hear him talk about his childhood.

"The only holiday I remember from when I was young was when we went to China. I think I might have been six. I remember that I didn't realise that they didn't speak Japanese in China and getting very confused."

Ryuzaki's face lit up as he smiled, his eyes squinting shut and his mouth turning into the perfect half-moon that I loved. "So what about Raito-kun? When did he first realise he was a genius?"

"I think I was about seven also. I remember playing chess with my father and winning. I don't think he was paying much attention and when he turned back to me I was sitting there very smug with myself. I expected praise but he told me off for cheating and never believed that I won fair and square."

"Oh Raito-kun…" Ryuzaki said hugging my head close to his chest.

"It happened a long time ago…I was pretty annoyed at the time. But there's no reason to get so upset about it now, right?" I said giving him an encouraging smile. After a time Ryuzaki settled back down in my lap and kissed the side of my mouth.

"Raito-kun I know I am worrying over nothing. But promise me you'll be very careful when you go see your friend." _I bet L's seen such horrible things in his short life to give him a reason to be so paranoid._

"I will be careful L. I've already promised you that I'll always come back for you, my cynical genius, and I will uphold that promise. No matter where I go, I will always come back to you."

I gently stroked L's porcelain pale face before meeting him in a sweet kiss. His lips were sweet, warm and oh-so teasing under mine. Keeping my hands out of L's clothing I squeezed him tighter, swiping my tongue against his lips. All too quickly Ryuzaki pulled away.

"What are you doing Raito-kun?" He asked sounding miffed.

"Ummm, kissing you?" I said. Ryuzaki's arms were still wrapped around my shoulders but his face was as far from me as possible.

"I'll advise you to keep your tongue in your own mouth." He said, staring seriously at me.

"What? I was just going to kiss you with tongue. You know, French kissing?" I said trying to pull Ryuzaki closer to me.

"I realise what French kissing is and I don't want to participate in it."

"Why not?" _Where's this coming from? _I thought bewilderedly.

"It's unhygienic." _Ok now I understand. _Rolling my eyes I looked seriously at Ryuzaki.

"It's not unhygienic Ryuzaki. It's fun! It'll make you feel good Ryuzaki," I whispered, dropping my voice. I saw a light dusting of pink rise up along his cheekbones. The dark haired detective looked away for a few seconds before returning back to me.

"I still don't see the obsession with it." I took off my watch and handed it to him.

"How about this: we French kiss for one minute. If you don't like it then we won't ever do it again," _if you don't like it I'll just try again later, _"and if you do then we'll do it more often."

Ryuzaki looked down at the watch face. _Probably wondering if a minute is a worthy sacrifice to get me to leave him alone. _

"Ok Raito-kun," he said.

"Brilliant. Just copy what I do, ok?" Ryuzaki held the watch up next to my head and I pushed it down. Taking Ryuzaki's face in both hands I brought our lips together.

Ryuzaki moved his lips confidently against mine but when I licked his lips he faltered. Breaking contact I kissed Ryuzaki's cheek one.

"Don't be frightened," I assured him. As gently as I dared I deepened our kiss. I explored Ryuzaki's mouth with my tongue but the dark haired detective wasn't enjoying it. So, I sought out his own tongue. Gently stroking and encouraging it I realised I had managed to lie down and pulled Ryuzaki on top of me. My mate couldn't have weighed more than Sayu and he felt comfortable on my chest. As Ryuzaki began to move his tongue against mine I heard my watch clatter against the laminate floor.

Our tongue's battled for dominance and Ryuzaki quickly gave in. _Ha! I knew he was an uke! _Moving my mouth against his I flipped us over so I was on top. Taking my mouth away I heard Ryuzaki gasp in air. The dark haired detective clutched the back of my shirt as I attacked his neck.

"Raito-kun, p-please stop!" He whined bucking his hips against mine. Knowing that Ryuzaki's body and his mind were in total disagreement, I managed to pry myself off him. Looking down at the usually calm man I grinned evilly.

"You liked that?"

All Ryuzaki could do was nod and try to calm down his staccato heart beat.

* * *

Gack! Bad ending…but ah well. I'm sorry that there wasn't much plot development but there was plenty of relationship development, ne? Ryuzaki experienced his first French kiss and Raito-kun has made himself almost official seme. We shall just have to wait and see how Ryuzaki reacts to being made the bottom so quickly.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked it and I'll see you next week!

"_There are a terrible lot of lies going around the world, and the worst of it is half of them are true." _–Winston Churchill.


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